Clara Lily Potter
by KatnissRoseHermione
Summary: No one knew that Lily Potter gave birth to twins. No one knew that Sara Kanebridge was Clara Potter. No one knew. Not even her. Story originally by OpenBookLina.
1. Chapter 1 by OpenBookLina

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. OpenBookLina owns chapters 1-11 and Sara, David, Marcus, Kiera, and Izzy. Story originally by OpenBookLina.**

* * *

Chapter One

"Papa! Papa, I got it!" yelled Sara enthusiastically, hopping off of her bed and sprinting out of her room, waving a piece of parchment in one hand and holding an envelope in the other. A wide smile was stretched across her face as she ran out into the hallway and down the wooden staircase, excitement swelling up in her stomach like a giant hot air balloon. She could barely contain her happiness as she took the steps two at a time, her mind and heart racing. Once Sara reached the bottom of the stairs, she made a sharp turn to the right and entered the front living room. She passed the creme colored walls and cherry wood shelves that held bountiful amounts of books and framed pictures. When she ran through this room, she started making her way across the dining room, past the glass display case filled with priceless china, heading towards the kitchen at the back of the house. As she entered, she found her father, Jon, sitting at the table reading the morning paper with a steaming cup of coffee at his side. Usually Sara left her father alone while doing this, but at the moment, she was way too excited to care.

"Papa, it's here!" Sara said, running over to Jon and holding the letter in front of him. Jon looked over from his paper and smiled at Sara's glowing face.

"What's here darling?" Jon said as he started folding the paper.

"The letter! It finally came this morning with the mail! I'm going to Hogwarts!"

"That's wonderful Sara," Jon said, his smile even wider, his eyes showing great joy at the news. "May I have a look at the letter a moment?"

Sara eagerly handed the letter over to Jon and watched him intently as he read it. She was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, her smile refusing to leave her face. She felt as if she were going to burst from all the emotions. After a couple more minutes, Jon finished reading the letter and looked over at Sara, a look a deep pride overtaking his face. Without a word, he opened his arms out to her, and she responded by gladly running into his embrace. Jon held his daughter close to him, tenderly kissing the top of her head while she snuggled her face into his chest. After nearly squeezing the life out of him, Sara released her hold on Jon.

"Congratulations sweetheart," said Jon. "I'm so happy for you. My little witch is going to Hogwarts."

"I know, I can't wait!" Sara said. "Can we buy my supplies tomorrow? Pretty please?"

"No, not tomorrow hon," Jon chuckled. "How about I take you on your birthday? That way Nana can come with us."

"That's perfect!"

"Okay, we'll go right after breakfast than. Hmm, the letter says a representative from the Ministry of Magic will be here in a couple of days to give us some basic information. I suppose he or she will tell us where to get your books and other things. And what to expect when you get to school."

Jon's voice softened a little at his last sentence and his face fell, a small trace of sadness leaking onto it. Sara's smile faded and her heart quivered at her father's attempt to hide his sorrow and shame. Ever since Sara's mother had left them nearly five years ago, Jon has always felt so useless when trying to teach Sara about magic. Jon was a Muggle, or non-magic folk, and there wasn't much he could teach her without his ex-wife's support. When Jon was a very young man, he had married a witch named Cassandra, but she had walked out on them when Sara was just six years old. Sara didn't remember all of that night, she only recalled her parents screaming at each other, and Cassandra pulling her wand on Jon at one point. When she saw Sara standing on the staircase, she stared at her for a moment, and then walked out the front door without a word, never to be seen again.

Ever since then, Jon was alone, raising up a young witch on his own. All he could do was tell Sara everything Cassandra had told her about the Wizarding World which she was a part of. Of course he had the help of Sofia, Cassandra's mother, but there was only so much she could do, for she lived in Milan, Italy, and could only visit two or three times a year. Jon had always felt helpless watching Sara grow up without the full experience of being a witch. He didn't know very much about the magical world at all besides what Cassandra had told him while they were married. There were times when Sara would accidently use magic when she was younger, and he didn't know how to help her control it. He saw himself as a failure, and Sara hated that more than anything. She knew he couldn't tell her everything, and he worked so hard to provide a good life for her even though she was different. Sara gently cupped Jon's face and stared at him.

"Please Papa," she said quietly. "Don't do this to yourself. I don't care if you can't tell me everything I need to know before I go to school. I'll meet other witches and wizards like me and catch up in no time at all. You and Nana told me all you could, and I'll remember it when I leave for school. I love you so much Papa. And the only thing I care about is that I was taught well by you. When I come home I'll so many things I can tell you, you'll be sick of it and want me to be quiet."

Jon managed a chuckle at Sara's words. He stared directly into her face for a moment, then he reached out and once again took her into his arms, and Sara felt him smile against her hair.

"How did I ever get so lucky to have a daughter like you?" he said, rubbing Sara's back. "I love you too kiddo, more than you know. Now why don't you go upstairs and change. We're going out to breakfast to celebrate."

"Yes! Thanks Papa!" Sara said, giving Jon a swift kiss on the cheek. Then she turned around and quickly ran out of the kitchen, making her way back to the staircase. She dashed up the steps back to the second floor to her room. She jogged down the long, wide hallway until she came to a door at the very end on the right hand side. As she approached it, bright, golden colored letters suddenly appeared across the pearl white paint, criss crossing each other until the words Sara's Room was formed near the top in neat, French Script handwriting. Sara's Nana, Sofia, had put that charm on the door when she visited for Sara's third birthday. The words only appeared on the door when it was in the presence of a family member. Sara hastily threw open the door and went inside her room, closing it behind her.

Sara's room was fairly big, enough to fit two twin sized beds, maybe twenty or so people at best. The walls were painted a light Beige color, with golden brown carpet flooring. Sara loved the color brown, it was such a warm, comforting color, like hot chocolate or fresh baked cookies. There wasn't very much on her walls, just a few posters of famous kid bands, framed paintings, printed out pictures of foreign countries she had been dying to see, and framed photographs of her, Jon, Nana, and some of her friends. But these were no ordinary pictures. The ones taken of her, Jon and Nana actually moved. All photos taken in the wizarding world moved, and that's why Sara couldn't have friends up in her room unless she put the pictures away. There was one of her and Jon at the circus, and the Elephant in the picture was seen moving around in a circle, with the two of them laughing on its back.

Sitting in the top right hand corner of the room by the bay window was a ten row bookshelf, filled to the brink with books of all shapes and sizes. Directly across from her bed on the other side of the room was a TV stand with a few computer games and movies. On the left side of Sara's bed was a writer's desk, which held a lamp, alarm clock, and some more framed pictures. The desk itself was made of Maple wood, and had lovely flower designs carved into the edges and legs. On the right side of the bed was a three row, rectangular shelf that held more personal belongings, such as more pictures, photo albums, a jewelry box, a few little glass figurines, a few notebooks where she kept all her poetry, a camera, and some bead necklaces she got from a carnival in town. On the bottom right hand corner of the room was a six shelved dresser where she kept all of her clothes, also made of Maple wood, and right next to it sat a vanity with a large mirror. The only other magical thing in her room besides the pictures was the ceiling. At night, the ceiling will suddenly shine with stars, moons, and comets, but only Sara could see it. That charm was done by her mother.

Sara walked over to her desk and looked at the few pictures residing there. Among these pictures, there was only one of her mother and her together. They were playing together at the park, Sara must have been no older than three or four at the time. Cassandra was pushing Sara on the swing, laughing along with her as Sara kept telling her to go higher. Sara could still remember how beautiful her mother was. She had long, beautiful golden hair that fell gracefully down her back in a water fall of curls. She had fair, light olive skin, soft delicate hands, and the brightest eyes, like sparkling sapphires. The two of them were bundled up for the slight chill of the fall, with gold and fiery red leaves rustling underneath their feet. Although she was very small, Sara remembered how much her and Jon truly loved Cassandra. Jon would have gone to the ends of the earth for her. There was a photo of them together, standing in front of the house. Jon had his arm around her waist, smiling happily, his eyes filled with the outmost joy. Cassandra was smiling also, resting her head upon his shoulder. This was taken not too long before Sara's seventh birthday. The summer she left them…

Sara realized her eyes were starting to well with tears and she angrily wiped them away before they could spill. She shouldn't be crying over the woman who abandoned her husband and child. She will never see Sara grow up to be a witch, to see her develop through her years at school. She had Jon with her, and that's all Sara would ever need in her life. Cassandra Kanebridge was nothing more than a distant memory. Keeping that in mind, Sara turned away from the pictures and went over to her bed. Sitting cross-legged on the mattress, Sara took out the second piece of parchment from the envelope and looked at it. It was a complete list of everything she would need for her first year at Hogwarts. Her eyes widened in amazement as they scanned the list. A cauldron, wand, school robes, spell books, dragon leather gloves, and a choice of an owl, a cat, or a toad! This was so cool, she could hardly believe she was finally going. Sara had been dying to see the castle ever since Nana had started telling her about. Nana had gone to Hogwarts when she was a young girl also. That's where she met Sara's Pop-pop, and they had gotten married and moved to Italy not too long after they left Hogwarts. Cassandra had also gone to Hogwarts, for Nana believed there was no greater place for magical learning. Both woman had told Sara all about the wonders of Hogwarts, and the stories about their days there as students. Sara could only imagine the hundreds of moving paintings on the walls, the changing staircases, house elves in the kitchens, Quidditch games, feasts in the Great Hall, and all the classes she would be taking.

Sara smiled to herself as all of these thoughts came swarming into her mind. To her, Hogwarts seemed like a sacred, mythical place for unique children like her. Sara looked over at the calendar that was hanging on the wall by her bookcase. Its July 21st. Forty-two days left until Hogwarts.

ooooo00000OOOOO00000ooooo

Sara sat curled up on the sofa, reading her book while listening to some music on her radio that was underneath the coffee table. It was rather quiet in the house besides her music playing. Jon had just come home from work a little while ago, and he was now upstairs getting a shower. Outside, thick clouds coated the quickly darkening sky, promising lots of oncoming rain. Sara could hear the winds through the window, blowing fiercely, and she snuggled deeper into the corner of the sofa. She's always hated storms, even when she was a small child. They terrified her sometimes, especially when it was a very bad one. When she was a little girl, every time there was a storm going on, she would scurry into Jon's room and jump into bed with him. Nine times out of ten, he would let her stay with him. She's gotten more used to them over the years, but they still made her uncomfortable at times.

Sara was interrupted from her reading by the sound of sudden rain hitting the glass on the windows. It started out as a soft drizzle, but after a few minutes, it came down harder and faster. Trying to shake it off, Sara turned her attention back to her book and continued reading. However, barely two minutes later, she was once again interrupted, this time by a knock on the door.

"I got it Papa!" Sara yelled as she closed her book and stood up from the sofa. She went over to the front door and, after making sure the chin lock was in place, slowly cracked it open. Standing on the porch was a thin, balding man with flaming red hair and oddly shaped glasses. He wore a long, emerald green cloak that touched the ground, a tweed jacket over a brown vest and shirt, and matching pants, with black shoes. He also looked rather wet from the pouring rain. The man smiled upon seeing Sara through the crack in the door and gave her a friendly wave.

"Hello there dear," the man said kindly. "Is your father home by chance?"

"May I ask who you are sir?" Sara asked quietly.

"I'm Arthur Weasley, I work at the Ministry of Magic," he replied. "I have a meeting with Jon Kanebridge today."

"I'm sorry, but may I see some kind of card?" Sara asked, remembering what Jon had told her about letting people into the house.

"Of course," said Mr. Weasley, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out an old, worn looking wallet. "You are a very smart young lady."

Sara blushed a little at Mr. Weasley's statement as he held up his wallet to the door so she could see. In the clear pocket was a small card with Mr. Weasley's moving photograph and his place at the Ministry. After reading his card, Sara nodded her head and closed the door so she could undo the chain lock. She opened the door and invited Mr. Weasley in. He gave her his thanks and entered, his eyes widening in delight and interest as he stared around the front hall. Sara led him into the living room and offered him a seat and to take his cloak. Mr. Weasley once again thanked her, then he took off his cloak and handed it to Sara. She went to go put it on the coat hanger in the hall and came back to find Mr. Weasley sitting on the couch, still taking in his surroundings with interested eyes.

"Fascinating how Muggles live, just fascinating," he said to himself, smiling.

"Would you like anything to drink sir?" Sara asked.

"Oh, no thank you dear," said Mr. Weasley humbly. "Is your father home?"

"He's upstairs, I'll go and get him," Sara said.

"No need sweetheart, I'm here." Sara turned to see Jon coming down the stairs, pushing his damp hair out of his face. He walked over to Mr. Weasley, who had stood from the couch and held out his hand to Jon, a wide, excited smile on his face.

"Hello sir, my name's Arthur Weasley, I work in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts at the Ministry of Magic. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same to you Mr. Weasley," said Jon as he shook Mr. Weasley's hand. "I'm Jon Kanebridge, and this is my daughter, Sara."

"Well, it's an extreme pleasure to meet you Sara," said Mr. Weasley, smiling in her direction. "You have a very polite and charming young daughter Mr. Kanebridge, she reminds me of my own."

"Thank you sir," Jon said, while Sara blushed again. The three of them took a seat in the living room, and Sara sat down next to Jon on the sofa, trying to keep her knees from bouncing up and down in excitement. She was sitting across from an actual Wizard! Someone besides Nana who could do real magic, someone who was like her, and part of the world she was about to go into. She scooted closer to her father and listened intently to everything Mr. Weasley was going to say.


	2. Chapter 2 by OpenBookLina

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. OpenBookLina owns chapters 1-11 and Sara, David, Marcus, Kiera, and Izzy. Story originally by OpenBookLina.**

* * *

Chapter 2

"Well then," said Mr. Weasley, clapping his hands together. "Mr. Kanebridge, as you already know, the Ministry has sent me as a representative of our world and to inform you and Sara about our rules and guidelines. Now, as it is said in the letter from Hogwarts, term begins on September the first, you have until then to buy all of her required books and supplies for school. There are also some things I must go over with you. Once Sara leaves for school, from that point on, she is not allowed to use any magic while she is away from Hogwarts until she is of age, which in our world is seventeen. If she breaks this law, there is a very high possibility that she will be expelled from school."

"Why can't I use magic at home?" Sara said, then she gave an apologetic look to Mr. Weasley for interrupting.

"We need to be sure that there is no way that Muggles can know about magic," said Mr. Weasley, not seeming fathomed at all about Sara's interruption. "Because then they would want to use magic to solve all of their problems and it would throw everything out of balance. That's why the Ministry's number one goal is keep magic a secret."

"Oh," said Sara.

"Anyway, the students at Hogwarts are permitted to return home for the Christmas, Easter and summer holidays if they wish, otherwise, you may only communicate by owl, as no electronic device will work at Hogwarts. Now, as far as Sara's school list goes, there is a place right in London where you can shop. I believe your mother-in-law has an account at Gringotts Wizard Bank for her?"

"Yes," answered Jon. "We made the account when Sara was a baby."

"Yes, all of her money lies in the bank, which is located in Diagon Ally, where Sara will be able to buy her things. Now, as I was assigned to help you and Sara during your preparation, I will accompany you to Diagon Ally to help purchase all of Sara's things, if that is all right?" said Mr. Weasley, a little eager.

"Of course," said Jon, who let out a sigh of relief he was holding in. "Thank you Mr. Weasley, I didn't think I'd be able to do it alone."

"No worries Mr. Kanebridge, all witches and wizards who are Muggleborn go through this process," said Mr. Weasley. "I will be there while you shop with Sara, and when it is time to see Sara off on the train. When were you planning on taking her to Diagon Ally?"

"On July thirty-first, her birthday," said Jon.

"Really? Well, happy early birthday Sara," said Mr. Weasley with a smile. "You are going to have a wonderful time in Diagon Ally, they have everything you will need, from potions ingredients to wands. They also have a Quidditch Shop."

"Really?" Sara asked, sitting straight up, her eyes going wide with excitement.

"Sara loves Quidditch," Jon explained to Mr. Weasley.

"Do you now? Have you ever been to a match Sara?"

"Well, no, but my Nana tells me about it all the time! And my Pop-pop was a seeker for Gryffindor," Sara added proudly.

"They have Quidditch games often at Hogwarts," said Mr. Weasley. "You will have a fun time watching them. Are you going to try out when you are older?"

"Yup," said Sara. " I want to be either a Chaser or a Keeper."

"That's wonderful," said Mr. Weasley, looking rather pleased. "Well, we will have no trouble at all getting into Diagon Ally. Shall we drive into London together Mr. Kanebridge?"

"Yes," said Jon. "Um, Mr. Weasley? How will I be able to get Sara's train ticket?"

"No need to worry about that sir," said Mr. Weasley. "I will have the ticket with me once we get to the station on September first. Well, that is all the information I have for you know Mr. Kanebridge. Do you have any questions?"

Before Jon could answer, a stream of questions came flying out of Sara's mouth.

"Did you go to Hogwarts too? Do the staircases really move? Are there really ghosts for each house? Are there really Mermaids in the lake? Has the Whomping Willow ever sent someone to the hospital before? Can—"

"Whoa, slow down there Sara," Mr. Weasley laughed. "Yes, all those things do happen at Hogwarts, and as a matter of fact I did go there. I've had the best times of my life there as a lad. You'll have great experiences there too, and you'll remember them for the rest of your life. My youngest son is starting Hogwarts this year too. I reckon seven years there, and you be walk out an extraordinary witch indeed."

"Thank you Mr. Weasley," said Sara, a big smile on her face.

"You're welcome," said Mr. Weasley. He stopped talking for a moment, looking a little nervous.

"Mr. Kanebridge," he said. "Forgive me, but I was just wondering if you could show me some of your kitchen appliances? You see, I am very fascinated about Muggles and how they live. My wife thinks I'm totally bonkers, but I think it's very intriguing. I myself collect some Muggle objects, and I've been trying to find out just how they operate without magic. If it's not too much trouble of course."

"Oh well, um," Jon said, not quite sure how to react to that. "Sure thing Mr. Weasley."

"Excellent!" said Mr. Weasley, jumping up from his seat and looking rather excited. Sara laughed a little as Jon led Mr. Weasley into their kitchen.

Jon spent some time showing Mr. Weasley everything in the kitchen, and he observed everything with a keen interest, once in awhile asking Jon how something operated. After about fifteen minutes or so, Mr. Weasley straightened up and said he should be going, although he looked reluctant to leave. Sara met them in the hallway, holding out Mr. Weasley's cloak to him.

"Thank you so much for coming Mr. Weasley," Jon said as Mr. Weasley took his cloak from Sara. "We really appreciate it."

"No trouble at all Mr. Kanebridge," said Mr. Weasley, pulling his cloak around his shoulders. "I'm glad I could be of service to you, I wish you both the best of luck."

"Goodbye Mr. Weasley," said Sara.

"Farewell Sara," said Mr. Weasley. "I will see you both on July thirty-first. Have a good evening."

With that being said, Mr. Weasley gave Sara a smile, nodded at Jon, and walked out the front door, closing it softly behind him. Sara went over to the window in the living room and pulled back the curtains to watch Mr. Weasley go. But he was nowhere to be found. All Sara could see was the rain. He had walked out the door mere seconds ago, and he vanished into thin air. How in the world did he do that?

"Sara," Jon called from behind her. Sara turned around to see Jon sitting once again sitting on the sofa, smiling at her. He made a gesture to the spot next to her, and Sara moved away from the window and took a seat next to Jon, snuggling into his side while he placed his arm around her, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. Sara turned to gaze up at Jon, smiling at him. Sometimes she's amazed at lucky she is to have such a wonderful man as her father, despite his age. His dark brown hair was starting to be streaked with grey, and every time he smiled, she could see the faintest hint of wrinkles in his cheeks. Jon may have married Cassandra at a young age, but they had tried for years to have a child of their own, but with no luck. So they decided to adopt.

Sara will never forget the day she found out she was adopted. It had been three years after Cassandra had left. Sara used to receive letters from her once or twice a week, but after a while the letters arrived later, and became fewer and fewer. Then, they just stopped altogether. Sara had been so upset, believing her mother had forgotten her. Months and months had gone by with nothing from Cassandra, until one day, she got the last letter a week before her ninth birthday. At first she was ecstatic about finally hearing word from her mother again. She remembers opening the letter with hopeful wishes, and reading it eagerly. But her excitement quickly vanished after she read what Cassandra wrote after the brief birthday greetings. Apparently Jon and Cassandra had both given up hope of ever having their own child, so they adopted Sara when she was only seven months old. Sara remembered how hurt and betrayed she felt, realizing she wasn't really Jon's, and that the both of them had lied to her. After many screams, tears, and refusing to talk to Jon for days, Sara had calmed down enough to gather her thoughts. One night after about a week of silence, Sara went into Jon's room, climbed into bed with him, and sobbed hysterically all night. He held her the whole time, saying he would always be her father, that he would always love her and care for her, no matter what.

Sara pushed these negative thoughts out of her head as she stared at Jon. His brown eyes were twinkling as he smiled down at her. His hair was still a little damp from the shower, and a few strands were plastered to his forehead. Sara played with his hands absentmindedly, like she used to do when she was little. His hands were a little rough, but warm, having a gentle touch, and his smile made her feel safe and secure, like nothing would ever hurt her.

"I'm so happy for you Sara," said Jon softly. "And I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks Papa, I'm happy too," Sara said. "Are you sure you'll be okay without me?"

"I'll be fine darling," Jon said, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly. "Unless you want me to be one of those really annoying fathers who smother their daughters with hugs and kisses, and say you're Daddy's Little Princess in front of all your friends-"

"No!" said Sara, her eyes widening in horror. Jon just smirked, and then he started attacking her sides, causing her to burst into a fit of giggles. Jon showed no mercy as Sara fell onto her side on the sofa.

"Papa! S-stop!" Sara managed to gasp.

"Say please," said Jon.

"Pl-please!"

"Now say pretty please with sugar on top."

"Papa!" screamed Sara, feeling the stitches in her side. "Okay! P-pretty please w-w-with sugar on t-top!"

"That's my girl," Jon said smugly as he ceased tickling her. Sara laid on the sofa for a minute, trying to catch her breath. Once she gained control of her breathing, she sat up and attempted to glare at Jon, resisting the urge to stick out her tongue at him like a five year old. Jon laughed at her expression and pulled her into his arms again.

"Seriously sweetheart, I'll be okay," Jon said, smiling. "I'm going to miss you very much, but I'll be fine. Just promise me you'll write at least once a week."

"I promise," said Sara, her mouth cracking into a smile. "I love you Papa."

"I love you too my little Sara-bee," Jon said, kissing her forehead. "And I always will."


	3. Chapter 3 by OpenBookLina

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. OpenBookLina owns chapters 1-11 and Sara, David, Marcus, Kiera, and Izzy. Story originally by OpenBookLina.**

* * *

Chapter 3

_One week later..._

"Nana!" yelled Sara gleefully as she ran down the stairs.

"Is that my little Sara?" said Sofia, holding her arms out wide open. Sara jumped the last three steps and leaped straight into her Nana's embrace. Sophia laughed as she held her granddaughter close to her in a tight hug. Sara smiled and inhaled the rich spices that clung to Sophia in a thick aura. The spell of Italy. The smell of delicious pasta, the warm sun, peach trees, dirt, and the ocean all mixed into one strong scent. Sara remembered the last time Nana came to visit. She had left her coat at the house my mistake, and Sara constantly wore it around the house, inhaling the same exact spices. After about a minute of hugging each other, Sara pulled back to look at her Nana. Her grey hair was pulled back into a tight, neat bun at the back of her head, her apple green eyes glowing. She wore a long sleeved white shirt, with little beads stitched along the collar in bright blue and green. She also wore a sky blue colored skirt with flower designs around the rims. All of this along with her sun-kissed skin, Nana looked like a pure native Italian from her head to her sandals.

"Oh, Sara Elizabeth," Nana said adoringly. "You look more gorgeous every time I see you."

"Thanks Nana, I've missed you so much," Sara said.

"I've missed you too dear. I just can't wait to go shopping with you and your father tomorrow," said Sofia as Jon came into the house with her suitcases.

"It's great to have you here with us Mrs. Macino," Jon said as he closed the front door behind him and set the suitcases down.

"Boy, how many times have I told you not to call me that?" scolded Sophia. "You've been calling me that for twenty-seven years, I told you, it's Mother, Mom, or Momma. Now get over here and give me a hug."

Jon chuckled as he went over to Sophia and held her tiny figure in his arms. While Jon went upstairs to go put the suitcases in the guest room, Sara led Sophia into the kitchen where Sara was preparing her favorite tea.

"I have some Basilmade tea on the stove for you Nana," Sara said as they walked to the kitchen table.

"Thank you sweetheart, it's been quite a journey," said Sophia. " Bless your father for picking me up, I have no idea how I ended up in Kent. I can't believe they won't let me Apperate into different countries. One tiny little incident and the Ministry goes into a hissy fit."

Sara giggled as she helped Sophia into a chair at the table. Then she went over to the cabinet above the sink to grab some mugs for them. However, the mugs were on the second shelf, and even on her tiptoes, Sara could just barely reach it. She leaned on the countertop for support and reached as far as her feet would take her, but to no avail. Sara set her feet back down on the floor and glared at the mugs, as if it were their fault, sighing heavily. All of a sudden, three mugs lifted off of the shelf and slowly levitated over to the island in the center of the kitchen, placing themselves down in a perfectly straight row. Sara looked over to see Sophia pointing her wand at the glasses, setting them down on the marble surface of the island. Sophia smiled at Sara's amazed expression.

"Good thing about magic dear, is it makes life much more simpler," Sophia stated.

"Will I learn how to do that?" asked Sara.

"That and so much more," replied Sophia. "But don't expect too much Sara, you are only going to be a first year after all, they will have you doing any major spells until you are older."

"Well that's good, cause the last thing we need is for Mandy Tanker to mysteriously get the chicken pox. Again," Jon said pointedly from the kitchen doorway as he entered. Sara tried to appear innocent as she looked at him.

"It was only her arms, and she pushed me in the mud!" she said in defense.

"That's not the point," Jon said as he went to turn off the hot water on the stove. "You are going to have to be more careful with your magic Sara, with all the power you have, it could be easy to be tempted to do certain things. You need to make sure you use your magic carefully."

"Come now Jonathon, if Sara can give someone the chicken pox by just looking at them, think of all the other things she can do," Sophia said. "Soon she'll be able to do things you have only ever dreamed of. It will be marvelous when we go to Ollivanders for her wand."

"Will I get one like yours Nana?" Sara asked as she pulled up a chair next to Sophia.

"Not exactly," answered Sophia, holding out her wand for Sara to see. "Every single wand ever made is different for each witch and wizard. Mine is Maple, eleven inches, with Unicorn Hair. Each wand has one of three cores: Phoenix Feather, Dragon heartstring, and Unicorn Hair, and no two wands are ever the same, at least not the ones at Ollivanders and your Grandfather's shops. Your Grandfather was an excellent Wandmaker, just not as successful as Ollivander. Wands are truly magnificent objects, they are the ones who choose their owners. When I got my wand, it took just a little over a half hour to find mine."

"How will I know when the wand chooses me?" asked Sara.

"When a wizard first chooses his destined wand, they have a strange feeling, sort of like an instant connection. Trust me dear, you will know your wand when you touch. This is all just very exciting, seeing you go shopping for your first year at school. Speaking of which, what time are we leaving with Mr. Weasley tomorrow Jonathon?"

"Around ten in the morning, so we'll get there no later than eleven," replied Jon as he poured the water into the mugs. "And I know if Sara is anything like Mr. Macino, she will spend half the time in the Quidditch Shop."

Sophia laughed softly while Jon brought over the mugs filled with fresh made tea to Sara and Sophia. Sara took the warm cup into her hand and breathed in the lovely scent, her insides already feeling toasty. Sara always loved Sophia's homemade Basilmade Tea, ever since she was a toddler, and she begged Sophia to teach her how to make it. She remembered she used to stay up late in the kitchen, experimenting with different ingredients until she got it right. Jon brought his own cup over to the table and sat down across from Sara, giving her a smile before taking a sip of his tea.

"Yes," agreed Sophia, a sad smile on her face. "Michael did love Quidditch with such a passion. I think Sara will make a fine addition to any Quidditch team, it's a pity first years cannot have their own brooms though."

"I can't wait to fly," Sara said, a wide grin stretching across her face. "I really want to be a Chaser or a Beater! I'd rather score points than worry about a tiny golden ball you can barely see with the weight of the game on your shoulders. That's way too much pressure. Whoever wants to be a Seeker is crazy."

"What did I tell you?" Jon laughed. "She's going to be flying around in circles soon enough."

"I have no doubt in my mind," said Sophia as Sara took a sip of her tea. "She has so much potential, and so many talents. I can most definitely see her in Ravenclaw."

"I don't know," countered Jon, pretending to be in deep thought and rubbing his chin while staring at Sara. "She may be a Hufflepuff, she has such a big heart, and helpful to others, and such a hard worker."

"Hufflepuff? Don't be foolish Jonathon, she's too smart for that," said Sophia.

Sara rolled her eyes and took another sip of tea. Here they go again. Jon and Sophia had been debating which house Sara would be sorted into for years, it was actually quite amusing to see them go at it. It first started out with Jon and Cassandra, but since she was no longer around to put in her input, Sophia took the position of rooting for Ravenclaw.

Personally, Sara hoped she would be placed in Gryffindor. That was the house her Pop-pop was in, and to her, he was a real hero, which made sense, 'because Gryffindor house was known for its valor and courage. When Sara was very little, her Pop-pop had given her a stuffed lion and she would cuddle with it all the time while it purred contentedly in her arms. She also remembered the time her Pop-pop became gravely ill, and Sara had tried cheering him up. She went into his closet and put on his old Quidditch uniform, which was of course ten times too big for her, grabbed an old kitchen broom, and pretended to fly around her Pop-pop's bed, trying to catch a Snitch. Her Pop-pop had laughed so hard, more than he had in weeks, and she recalled him saying red and gold looked splendid on her. She wants to honor his memory and make him proud by being in Gryffindor. Sara brought her mind back to present to hear Jon and Sophia still going at it.

"Be rational Jon, Ravenclaw is a house for intelligence and talent, something Sara has a lot of," argued Sophia.

"Hufflepuff is just as good, they might not be as smart, but they achieve just as much by trying their hardest," said Jon.

"Believe what you may Jon, but—"

"Guys!" Sara said, laughing. "It doesn't really matter where I end up. And you guys can argue all you want until I let you know what house I'm in, but let's have peace for now."

"Well, I suppose," sighed Sophia. "You're right Sara, we will be proud no matter where you are placed. However, anything is better than being put in Slytherin. No good bastards and their Pure-blood mania."

"Mrs. Macino, you're still not upset about that are you?" asked Jon.

"You just don't understand Jonathon," said Sophia, her eyes narrowing and her jaw set. "The people in that house are greedy, snobbish, and extremely arrogant. There's not one single dark witch or wizard who wasn't in Slytherin. They think they are so high up in the world. And the Malfoys! I've never seen such a despicable family. How can you expect me to forget them calling my cousin a Mudblood? The nerve of them, that Lucius and Narcissa!"

"Mudblood? What's a Mudblood?" said Sara, wiping the tea off her lips. Sophia fell silent as she realized her mistakes, and looked a little uncomfortable. Jon looked at her for a moment and then turned his attention to Sara, looking out of place with the subject.

"Well," said Jon, rubbing the back of his neck. "Mudblood is a very foul name for a witch or wizard who was born into a Muggle family, who has non-magic parents. It means dirty blood. There are witches and wizards who come from all-magic families, and they're referred to as Purebloods. Some Purebloods believe they are better than anyone else, and are disgusted by Muggleborns. They think magic should only be kept in all-magic families, that others don't deserve to learn magic at all. It's the foulest insult any witch or wizard could come up with. I've only heard it once, someone had called you a Mudblood when you were very little while your mom took you out, and she nearly pounced on the woman."

"Am…am I a Mudblood?" Sara asked softly.

"We don't know Sara," Jon said. "But it doesn't matter if you are or not."

"Your father's right sweetie," said Sophia. "There are many witches and wizards who are Muggleborn, and they are absolutely marvelous at doing magic. My cousin Arianna was a Muggleborn and she was the top of her class. Don't let this Mudblood nonsense get to you Sara, its utter rubbish, everyone is equal in our world, no matter what their ancestry is. Don't be angry about it like I am. It's just a bad thing to call someone. And even if you are Muggleborn, we would love you no less."

"It's true Sara," said Jon. "Whether you are a natural born witch or not, I for one am proud to have such a beautiful and special daughter like you, no matter what you are."

"Thanks Papa," Sara said, giving a small smile. "Can we please leave earlier tomorrow morning? Pleeeeeeeeeeaase?"

"Don't you want to have your birthday breakfast first?" asked Jon, smiling also.

"We can do that when we get back," Sara said. "Who needs breakfast anyway? It's not like it's important."

Jon shook his head and looked over at Sophia.

"She's your granddaughter," he said simply, taking another swig of his tea.


	4. Chapter 4 by OpenBookLina

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. OpenBookLina owns chapters 1-11 and Sara, David, Marcus, Kiera, and Izzy. Story originally by OpenBookLina.**

* * *

Chapter 4

Sara awoke to a loud and weird noise, like the buzzing of a Bumblebee. She moaned loudly, diving deeper into the warmth of her blankets. Please go away. As Sara continued to ignore it, the buzzing sound only got louder and louder, making Sara groan in frustration. She poked her head out of the covers and slowly opened her heavy eyelids.

Floating beside her bed was a bright red balloon with a string, and it sounded as if the buzzing noise was coming from inside it. A wide smile spread across Sara's lips as she eagerly sat up in bed, yanking the blankets off of her. She reached out towards the balloon, and the minute her fingers made contact with it, the balloon suddenly popped and tiny little fireworks started fizzing and whizzing around the room, making small crackling noises, and forming the words Happy Birthday gave a squeal of joy, pumping her fist into the air. Today is her birthday, she's finally eleven years old! Today her, Jon and Nana are going to Diagon Ally! Sara quickly jumped out of bed and started dancing around the fireworks, her happiness overpowering her and giggling merrily to herself. After another minute or so, the fireworks disappeared, and the balloon returned to how it was before. Sara grabbed the balloon by the string and ran out of her room, going down the hall to the staircase. She ran until she came to the kitchen, where Sophia was cooking at the stove and Jon was sitting at the table pouring himself some orange juice. When Sara entered the room, Sophia turned to smile at her.

"Good morning sweetie," she greeted. "Happy Birthday. Do you like the balloon?"

"I love it, thank you Nana," Sara said, touching the balloon with her finger again and making it go into another wild frenzy. Jon chuckled, then he came over to her and picked her up in a loving embrace.

"Happy Birthday love," he said as he set her down and kissed her cheek. "Are you hungry?"

"Not at all, I can wait until we get home," Sara said. Just as the last word left her mouth, her stomach gave a loud grumble, as if objecting to her statement. Jon raised an eyebrow and she smiled sheepishly.

"Nice try Sara, now take a seat, I'm almost done with your eggs," Sophia said, pointing her wand over at the plates sitting on the counter and having them float over to her. Sara and Jon walked over to the table and Jon poured some orange juice for her too while she took a seat. She just couldn't keep the enthusiastic smile off of her face. All of her waiting was going to be paid off today! Why can't time go faster? When Sophia was done making the food, she brought over two plates filled with eggs, pancakes, bacon, hash browns, sausage, and toast, placing them down in front of Sara and Jon. She always did like to make sure they were well fed. The two of them thanked her, and then Sara dug into her food before Sophia could even sit down with her own plate.

"Easy there Sara," Jon said. "You don't want to make yourself sick."

"I'll be fine," Sara said, taking a moment to chug down some orange juice.

"It's good to know my food's appreciated," Sophia said as she took her seat. "But he's right Sara, you need to slow down or you'll make yourself feel all botched up. You don't want to feel sick while we're at Diagon Ally do you?"

"No, I'm just really excited," Sara said, positively beaming. "There are so many things we need to get today."

"You're right about that," said Jon. "If Nana hadn't created that account for you, I don't know what we would've done."

"Always best to be prepared," said Sophia. "You have plenty of money to take care of everything you need Sara. But Jonathon, for the future, if you should ever need more money, you are always welcome in my vault. And don't forget our agreement."

"I know," said Jon. "You get to buy Sara's wand and birthday gift, and we take care of everything else."

"Gift?" said Sara through a mouthful of eggs. "I thought we weren't going to do gifts until we got home?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full Sara," said Jon. "We decided to chip in on one of your birthday gifts, we'll get it while we are out shopping."

"Yes, so when you are done eating go upstairs and get a shower, then we'll all head out once Mr. Weasley gets here."

"Okay," said Sara. She started picking up the pace in her eating, gobbling up all of her food, but not enough to make her sick. In a little less than fifteen minutes, she was finished with all her food, wiping her mouth with the napkin.

"I'm done!" Sara announced loudly. Jon and Sophia laughed quietly to themselves as Sara shot up from the table, went over to place her dishes in the sink, and then darted out of the kitchen and back up the staircase.

After taking an extremely quick, ten minute shower, Sara went into her room wrapped in a bath towel to get dressed. She rummaged through her dresser drawers, trying to find something decent to wear. She finally settled on a pair of dark blue jeans, a short sleeved, emerald green, V-neck shirt, with white sneakers that had navy blue stars along the sides. Once Sara threw on all her clothes and her shoes, she went over to the bedside table, grabbed a brush, walked over to the mirror hanging on the wall, and started running it through her hair. While she did this, she stared at her reflection.

Staring back at was your average eleven year old girl. Sara had always been rather tall and skinny for her age. She had fairly long arms and legs, which came in use when taking part in a race at her school. Her hair flowed gracefully down her back like a waterfall. It was jet black, and fell to the middle of her back in soft, little waves. Sara has always really liked her hair, she used to love it when her mother played with it at night before she went to bed. Her eyes were a most lovely shade of hazel that shined like gold when caught in the sun's rays. Sara had always liked her own appearance, for most of the people in her family were either blondes or brunettes. She kind of liked being the oddball, Jon said it made her unique. But when she looked into the mirror, sometimes her mind would wander.

Despite the fact that she will always see Jon as her father, sometimes Sara would wonder if she looked anything like her biological parents. Jon had told her the orphanage where he and Cassandra had adopted her had no information at all about her birth mother or father. He said they had found her outside in the garden one night, wrapped up in a blanket. She couldn't have been more than a couple days old. It made her sad sometimes that she didn't know anything about her birth parents, but surely she must look like one of them…

"Sara, Mr. Weasley's here, are you all set to go?" she heard Jon yell from downstairs.

"Yeah, I'll be down in just a sec!" Sara yelled back. When she finished brushing her hair, Sara went back over to her bedside table, then she opened the drawer and pulled out a small, red velvet box. Taking it carefully into her hands, Sara opened the lid to reveal a beautiful, silver heart shaped necklace, with a snake coil chain, and tiny little crystals embedded into one side of the heart. Out of all of Sara possessions, this necklace was probably the most precious. It had been the last gift she had received from her Pop-pop before he had passed away, and since then, she had hardly ever taken it out of the box, fearing that something would happen to it. But today was different. Her Pop-pop had always wanted to see Sara off on the train to Hogwarts, but he was never given the chance. So the least she could do was take him to Diagon Ally. Sara took the necklace out of the box and hooked it around her neck. The heart rested peacefully on her chest, glinting from the light streaming in through the windows. Smiling, Sara put the box back in the drawer, turned around, and headed out of her room to accompany Jon, Sophia, and Mr. Weasley, who were all waiting for her downstairs.

"Hello there Sara," greeted Mr. Weasley with a smile. He wore Muggle clothing today, with a full out brown jacket, matching pants, black shoes, and a white shirt underneath the jacket, nice and simple.

"Hi Mr. Weasley," said Sara as she reached the bottom step.

"Happy Birthday to you," said Mr. Weasley. "Are you all set to go?"

"Am I ever!"

"That's good. Shall we be off Mr. Kanebridge?"

"Yes," said Jon, then the four of them made their way out of the house and towards the car in the driveway.

ooooo00000OOOOO00000ooooo

Seriously, how can there be this much traffic at eleven in the morning? Sara sighed as the car kept crawling painfully slow as it moved down the road. The streets of London were packed to the brim with cars, as if there were some sort of major event going on. It took them about twenty minutes to get from fifth to Sixth Avenue, and Sara slumped in her seat, becoming extremely impatient.

"Don't worry Sara, we'll get there soon," said Jon from up front.

"Not the way this traffic is going," said Sophia from Sara's left, looking almost as impatient as she was. Mr. Weasley, however, seemed to be having a wonderful time in the passenger seat, asking Jon all kinds of questions as to how the car worked.

"It's a shame you don't have a fireplace Jonathon, we could have used Floo Powder," said Sophia.

"We don't have any Floo Powder," said Sara, as Jon was explaining to Mr. Weasley the function of the horn.

"But I do," said Sophia, patting her green leather purse. "I don't just carry tissues and yarn in here dear. You never know when things such as Floo Powder will come in handy."

Sara smiled at her Nana's antics and turned her head to stare out of the window, watching buildings, cars, and people slowly drift by.

"Were here," announced Mr. Weasley. Sara eagerly looked around. Mr. Weasley was directing Jon into a parking space outside of an old, grubby looking pub. It had a sign over the door that read, The Leaky Cauldron. Once Jon had the car parked, he turned off the engine, and Sara quickly opened the door, scrambling out of the back seat. The summer sun was blazing brightly overhead, with very few clouds to block it, and Sara wished she had worn shorts instead. Yet she smiled as the warm light stroked her skin. There was a lot of hustle and bustle along the sidewalks, people going this way, and that way, laughing, talking, and shouting. Just another typical day in London. As Sara stared at the pub, she noticed that the Muggles didn't really look at, or even glance at it. In fact, they strode right past it as if they didn't know it was there.

"Do they see it?" she asked Mr. Weasley quietly as he shut the door to the passenger side.

"No," he replied just as quietly. "It's protected so the Muggles do not know about it. Only us and your father can see it."

"How can Papa see it?" asked Sara.

"Because I was married into a magical family and know of its existence," Jon answered in her ear after he helped Sophia out of the car, also making sure he spoke softly. "I am immune to charms protecting specific locations, such as this pub and the train platform that we are going to in September."

"And a good thing too," said Sophia. "We can't have you wandering around like a lost puppy looking for something you can't see, especially when they are places you need to take Sara to. Are you ready Sara?"

Sara nodded her head enthusiastically, her bright smile growing on her face. The four of them walked forward towards the pub and, after checking to make sure no Muggles were paying attention, Mr. Weasley opened the door and they stepped inside.

The first thing Sara noticed was it was much more dark in here then it was outside, only because most of the blinds and curtains to the windows were shut. There were candles on the wooden tables and on the bar tender's counter. The room was completely packed with witches and wizards, all wearing cloaks, odd hats and strange clothing. There was a group of old men with queer accents talking quietly to one another in a corner, and there was a witch sitting at a table quite close by, reading a newspaper while her spoon dipped in and out of her mug, mixing it around. Sara's insides bubbled with excitement and curiosity as Mr. Weasley led them through the crowd of people. She looked around at everyone, happy to be reminded that there were others like her that can do wonderful things with magic. Now she was even more excited than ever to go to Hogwarts, to become as great as everyone here. Her, Jon and Sophia followed Mr. Weasley through the room. After snaking their way around everyone, he led them to a door past the bar at the very back of the pub, and opened it, revealing a courtyard of stone. Mr. Weasley stood aside for them to enter the yard, and closed the door behind them, turning to walk towards the brick wall. As he approached it, he reached into an inside pocket of his jacket, pulled out his wand, and began tapping the bricks. Sara wondered what in the world he was doing.

"Three down, two across," he muttered to himself. "Okay, best if we all took a step back."

Sara's eyes widened and her mouth dropped in amazement. Once Mr. Weasley had tapped the right bricks, they all started to quiver and move. They all jumbled over each other, splitting a hole in the middle of the wall as they moved over to the sides, creating a stone archway about ten feet tall before keeping still once more. Sara's eyes widened even more and she gasped loudly.

"Welcome to Diagon Ally," said Mr. Weasley.

**A/N: Chapters 5-11 will be posted today, within the hour.**


	5. Chapter 5 by OpenBookLina

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. OpenBookLina owns chapters 1-11 and Sara, David, Marcus, Kiera, and Izzy. Story originally by OpenBookLina.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Beyond the wall was a gigantic, open spaced ally that seemed to stretch for miles, with hundreds of shops and stores along the sides. Almost all the shops were brightly painted, and the burst of luscious, various colors made Sara's eyes pop. Not only were there stores, but there were also carts and stands set up here and there along the road. However, what really made Sara's heart soar was all the people. All around the ally were what looked like several large groups of witches and wizards of all ages, walking up and down the road, going into stores, chatting while window shopping, and observing the products in the carts. Most of the younger ones were with their parents, reading from long lists, their arms laden with books and bags. Sara's eye darted here and there all over the place, completely speechless.

"Close your mouth Sara, you'll catch a fly," Sophia laughed. Sara realized her mouth was wide open, and quickly closed it. Both Jon and Mr. Weasley chuckled as they all started making their way forward down the ally. As they walked, Sara turned her head in all directions, trying to capture everything as they passed by. There was such a large variety of shops that Sara didn't know where she wanted to start.

"Where should we go first?" she asked.

"How about we take care of your books?" suggested Mr. Weasley. "Best to get them out of the way, there's a shop right along there called Flourish and Blotts, they will have everything you need for school."

"Come on Papa!" Sara said, tugging on her father's arm and dragging him down the ally. Jon laughed as they followed Mr. Weasley to Flourish and Blotts, which was only a few stores along the right side of the ally. Upon entering, they were greeted at the door by a short, plump little witch wearing black robes, and she directed them near the front of the shop, where she said one of the assistants would help them acquire all the books they needed. The store was fairly busy, with witches and wizards all crowded around the shelves and stands. Sara stuck to Jon's side like glue as they made their way through, careful not to step on anyone's cloak. As they reached the front of the store, one other the assistants scooted over to them with a tired, but polite smile.

"Hello there, what can I do for you folks today?" he said, rubbing his hands together.

"Yes, we are shopping for a first year at Hogwarts," said Mr. Weasley.

"Ah, another first year eh? We've had a swarm of them in here earlier today, was an absolute madhouse. What books do you require?"

"Do you have your list Sara?" Mr. Weasley asked her.

"I have it here," said Sophia, unbuttoning her purse and rummaging around until she found the envelope. She took out the list of books and handed it over to the assistant.

"Yes, yes, all the usual," he said to himself. "Well, I suppose we should start with A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot. Right this way."

The assistant led them near the very back of the store, and Sara was fascinated by all the books she saw. The sizes of them ranged from enormous encyclopedias made for giants to tiny ones no bigger than a postage stamp. The covers varied from leather, to wood, even fur and glass! She couldn't help but stare all around as she walked, and since she wasn't where she was going, she felt herself ramming straight into Jon's back, and she stumbled backwards. Jon turned and reached out to grab her before she fell, laughing heartily. Sara's cheeks turned red with embarrassment. The assistant carefully scanned the row of books with a trained eye, until his hand suddenly shot out to grab a book from the shelf above his head. He handed the book over to Jon and continued leading them through the store.

With the help of the assistant, they were able to find all the books they needed in less than fifteen minutes. While Jon, Mr. Weasley and the assistant went back towards the front of the store to pay for them, Sophia told Sara to look around and pick out only one book for herself. The minute the words left her mouth, Sara instantly raced off to search every inch of the place, her curious eyes roaming over every cover and title. Sara zigzagged her way down three long aisles of books before she caught sight of an interesting looking one out of the corner of her eyes. The book's glossy emerald spine made it stand out from the others on the shelf, and Sara's eyes widened as she read the golden letters stitched into it: Quidditch Through the Ages. She walked over to the shelf and saw that the book was about two levels higher than her head. Just perfect. She stood on her tippy toes, her arms completely extended as she reached for the book. She stretched her fingers and lifted herself as high as she could, but it was still out of her reach. After a few seconds she set herself back down on her feet and stared at the book, wondering if she should ask someone for help getting it down.

"Do you need some help?" came a voice behind her, making her jump and give a short yelp of surprise. Sara whipped around to see a boy around her age, wearing a very amused smirk on his face. This boy stood a good head higher than her, making her come to about his chin. He had rich, dark chocolate brown hair that was cut short, but still long enough to run a comb through. His eyes were the same color as his hair, and he had a long nose, with a few freckles on it. Sara found that a little funny. The boy wore a plain black cloak, along with faded jeans, and a dark gray shirt that had the Quidditch World Cup insignia on it. He smiled down at Sara, making her flush in embarrassment.

"Which one were you trying to get?" asked the boy.

"Um, the green one," Sara mumbled, pointing. The boy walked around her, stood up on his own toes, and easily grabbed the book off the shelf, taking a look at it.

"Quidditch Through the Ages, this is excellent," the boy said as he handed it to Sara.

"Thanks," said Sara.

"You're welcome," said the boy. "Are you shopping for Hogwarts too?"

Sara nodded her head.

"That's good, I go there too, this will be my second year," he said. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm David. David Prescott."

"Sara Kanebridge," Sara said. "You really go to Hogwarts? Do you like it there?"

"I love it there, it's the only thing I ever look forward to during the summer," replied David. "You're going to like it too. It's always fun watching the first years fall through trap doors and nearly get eaten by the monsters in the dungeons."

"What?" Sara gasped.

"I'm just kidding!" David laughed, seeing the look of horror on Sara's face. Sara narrowed her eyes at him and gave a little huff, turning around and starting to walk the other way.

"Wait, wait!" David said, running to catch up and crossing in front of her, blocking her path. "I'm sorry, I was only messing around, I didn't mean to scare you."

"I wasn't scared!" said Sara in defense.

"Sure," said David, not looking convinced. "But really, Hogwarts is amazing, you'll love it. Best place to learn magic."

Sara stared at him for a moment, still trying to look annoyed, but nevertheless, a corner of her mouth twitched and curved into a crooked smile. David smiled at her too, but at that moment, Sara heard Sophia voice over the crowd calling for her.

"Sara! Sara where are you?"

"Sorry David, I have to go," said Sara. "Thanks again."

"No problem," said David. "It was nice meeting you Sara, maybe we'll run into each other at school."

"Maybe," said Sara. "Goodbye."

"Bye," said David. Sara gave him a small wave before moving around him and jogging down the aisle to meet up with the others.

ooooo0000OOOOO00000ooooo

All through the day, Mr. Weasley led Sara, Jon, and Sophia throughout Diagon Ally. After they had gotten Sara's books, their next stop was Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. Sara stood on a stool as the poked and prodded her to size her up. The woman was extremely kind, and Sara told her it was all right whenever she would accidentally poke her with the needle. Once her dummy duties were finished, she hopped off the stool and went back over to her father. They continued making their way around, checking off more and more items from Sara school list. As they shopped, Jon and Mr. Weasley were making splendid conversation with one another, with Jon explaining the functions of some Muggle objects and with Mr. Weasley answering any questions Jon had about Hogwarts, and magic in general. Sara thought it was a little odd that Mr. Weasley was so interested in Muggles, but decided not to ponder over it. She was just happy the two men were getting along so well.

As lunch time came around, Jon decided to take Sara over to the Quidditch Shop, which of course, was a very bad idea. Sara let out a squeal of delight at the sight of the broomsticks on display in the windows, and she darted into the store faster than anyone could blink, disappearing into the crowd. She ran all over the shop, gazing and admiring the beautiful racing brooms, especially the new Nimbus 2000. It was the fastest model yet, and Sara spent a good half hour with her face pressed up against the display case, staring at it longingly, imagining herself flying through the air on it. She spent almost an hour and a half looking at all the brooms, uniforms, books, Quaffles, Bludgers, Bludger Bats, Snitches, and Broomstick Cleaning Kits. It got to a point where Jon told Sophia and Mr. Weasley to go get the cauldron while he tried to get Sara out. It took a while, but Jon was finally able to drag Sara out of the shop, promising to get her a broom for her next birthday. That and the fact that it was time to get Sara's wand.

So now Sara was practically skipping down the street with joy, her arms full of bags and packages that held all her supplies. All she needed now was the wand, and then she'll have everything on the list! Sara could barely contain her excitement as she skipped, a wide smile on her face, giggling. A magic wand…this is what Sara had really been looking forward to. After a few minutes, Sara suddenly skidded to a halt outside of a store on the corner of the street. It appeared ancient, and had peeling golden letters across the sigh above the door reading Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. If possible, Sara's smile only grew wider, and she giggled again as Jon and Mr. Weasley came up behind her, along with Sophia, who was panting slightly.

"Goodness child," gasped Sophia. "It's impossible to keep up with you."

"Sorry Nana," said Sara.

"No worries dear," said Sophia. "Jonathon, why don't you and Mr. Weasley go inside together while I take a breather out here?"

"Are you sure Nana? Do you want us to wait with you?" Sara said, concerned.

"Don't you worry about me sweetie," said Sophia.

"How about I take you over to Florence's Ice Cream Parlor to rest?" suggested Mr. Weasley. "When Mr. Kanebridge and Sara are done at Ollivanders, we can all meet up there and have some refreshments."

"Well, I suppose," said Jon. "You sure you'll be okay Mrs. Macino?"

"I'll be fine," she insisted. "Now you too give me your bags and go on."

Jon and Sara handed their baggage over to Sophia and Mr. Weasley before making their way over to Ollivanders wand shop. Sara put her arm around Jon's waist, smiling up at him excitedly. Jon returned the smile and gave her a tight, one-armed squeeze before opening the door for them. It was a little dark and dusty in the store, with piles and piles of boxes stacked all along the walls of the shop. It had an old, musty smell and was lit by soft candlelight. There was an old man standing behind a counter, reading a rather large book. He had his own wand out, and was using it to flip over the pages. Upon hearing Jon and Sara enter the shop, the man looked up from his book. He was a thin man, with boney fingers, a wrinkled face, silver hair, and twinkling blue eyes.

"Good afternoon," the man said in a cheerful voice, closing his book. "I am Mr. Ollivander, how can I help you today?"

"Hello, I'm Jon Kanebridge," Jon greeted. "We're here to buy a wand for my daughter, Sara."

"Ahh, that's wonderful, another starter for Hogwarts," said Mr. Ollivander as he came out from behind his counter, a roll of tape measure in his hand. "Well, let me take a look at you my dear. Which is your wand arm?"

"My right," answered Sara. He unraveled the tape, and, to Sara's amazement, the tape started measuring out both of her arms, legs, head, waist, nose, ears, and fingertips—all on its own. As the tape measure did all of this, Mr. Ollivander was taking down random boxes form the shelves and piles, bringing them all o the counter for Sara to try.

"That's enough now," said Mr. Ollivander, and the tape quickly rolled itself up again, and went straight back into Mr. Ollivanders hand. Mr. Ollivander took one of the boxes into his hand and opened it, taking out a sleek and shiny wand.

"Here you are dear," he said. "Cherry wood and Dragon Heartstring, eight inches, nice and swishy. Just take it and give it a wave."

He held out the wand to Sara and she took it eagerly with shaking fingers. She raised the wand and waved it around a little, and then it was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander almost instantly.

"Try this, Oak with Phoenix Feather, ten inches, very good for defensive spells."

Sara tried, but it was quickly taken back by Mr. Ollivander and replaced with another wand. This process continued on for well over an hour, with Sara trying a wand and Mr. Ollivander taking it back and giving her another one. At one point, Jon had taken a seat down by the front door and was watching intently, a smile on his lips. The pile of wands Sara had tried grew larger and larger by the minute, stacking up on top of one another on the counter. However, the more wands Sara tried, the more happy Ollivander seemed to be.

"I have certainly found myself a tricky customer haven't I?" said Ollivander with a smile. "Don't worry, we'll find the right one."

They continued going through heaps and heaps of wands for about another fifteen minutes when Mr. Ollivander brought out a rather ancient looking box that looked as if it had ten layers of dust on it. Mr. Ollivander set the box carefully down on his countertop, as if the contents inside were extremely fragile. He blew off some dust in the lid and opened it. Reaching inside, he pulled out a wand unlike any of the others Sara had seen. The color and texture of the wand seemed to be slightly worn out, but it also seemed to have a special glow to it, even in the light of the candles. Around the bottom were lovely designs the sort of looked like waves, and a very thin line script which went in a circle around the base of the wand like a ring, written in a language Sara didn't know.

"It's beautiful," Sara whispered.

"Yes it is," said Mr. Ollivander. "This particular wand is quite old, made by my grandfather's father. Stories tell that shortly before he died, my great grandfather traveled to a lake in the middle of a wood, where mermaids resided. There was an old Willow tree by the lake, from which this wand was made. Exactly eleven inches. He wanted his last wand to be unique, so he asked the mermaids in the lake to design it for him. The script on the wand is the language of the mermaids, the carvings done by their own hand. Once it was finished, my great grandfather added a Unicorn hair as the core. It has been sitting in this shop for many years, completely untouched. I have a very good feeling about this one."

He placed the wand into Sara's hand, and she felt a sudden warmth in her fingers that spread to her hand. She raised the wand high above her head and brought it swishing down like a whip. Blinding blue and purple sparks shot out from the tip of the wand like a firework, creating fizzing, dancing lights bounce off the walls. Jon beamed at Sara while Mr. Ollivander clapped his hands in praise.

"Fantastic! That was wonderful Sara, very wonderful indeed! You must be a very talented and special witch to have a wand such as this choose you. I imagine you will do great things with this wand."

Mr. Ollivanders took Sara's wand and put it back inside of the box. As he began wrapping it up in brown paper, Jon got out of his seat and gave Sara a tight hug, lifting her off her feet. Sara couldn't keep the smile off her face as Jon held her. A wand of her very own. Now she really felt like a witch. Jon paid ten gold galleons for her wand, and with a final wave to Mr. Ollivander, they left the shop together. They crossed the street to the ice cream parlor, where they found Sophia and Mr. Weasley talking and resting comfortably at one of the little tables. When Jon and Sara came up together, Sophia smiled widely at the sight of the box in Sara's hands. After gushing about her new wand, Jon and Mr. Weasley ordered everyone sundaes. They all enjoyed a lovely afternoon eating their ice cream and talking about the day's events.

"Did you have fun today Sara?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"It was great!" said Sara happily. "Thank you so much for bringing us here Mr. Weasley."

"It was my pleasure," said Mr. Weasley. "So are we all done for the day?"

"Not quite, we just have to get Sara's birthday present," said Jon. Sara's eyes brightened at this. She had completely forgotten about the gift Jon and Sophia were going to get her.

"We're going to get her an animal. What would you like Sara?" asked Sophia. "An owl, cat, or toad?"

"An owl!" Sara said instantly, making Jon chuckle.

"Very well then, we will make a stop at Eeylops Owl Emporium before heading out," said Mr. Weasley.

"Thank you guys!" Sara said to Jon and Sophia. After everyone had finished their sundaes, they left the parlor and headed over to the Emporium. As soon as they walked inside, Sara immediately walked over to where they kept all the owls and began looking at them. There were so many, she didn't know how she would be able to pick one. There were many other animals here besides owls, all staring with bright or dark eyes. Many of them squawked, hooted, croaked, growled, or hissed all at once creating one great blunder of noise. As Sara continued checking out the owls, there was one near the center of the shelf, cleaning out its feathers. It was a beautiful snowy owl, perched gracefully in its cage. As Sara came closer, the owl stopped what it was doing and stared at her with its piercing yellow eyes. After staring for a moment, the owl shook its head and placed it under its wing. Sara smiled at it. This owl was no doubt beautiful, and could be sassy, but she could see it wasn't the one for her.

"Beautiful, ain't she?" came a voice from beside her. Sara turned and her jaw nearly dropped to the ground when she looked to see a gigantic man standing right next to her, observing the same owl. This man had to be at least ten feet tall! He had a thick, curly brown mane of hair, along with a wild beard and mustache. He wore a large brown trench coat that was practically made of pockets, and Bigfoot sized boots. The giant chuckled at Sara's expression and her face went extremely red.

"I'm sorry," Sara said, turning her face away.

"Nah, it's all righ', don't expect you've ever seen anyone by the likes of me did ya?" asked the man.

"No," said Sara. "Are…are you a giant?"

"Only haf'," said the man. "Me mum was a giantess. Are you gettin' a owl for Hogwarts?"

"Yes," said Sara.

"I'm the Gamekeeper fer Hogwarts. The name's Rubeus Hagrid, but you can just call me Hagrid, everyone does."

"It's nice to meet you Hagrid, I'm Sara," Sara said. "Are you getting yourself an owl too?"

"Not quite, it's really fer someone else," said Hagrid. "He's at Ollivanders gettin' his wand. I was thinking 'bout gettin' this here owl fer him as a gift."

"Really?" said Sara. "Well I think this owl would be a perfect choice for your friend."

"You think so?"

"I'm positive," said Sara. "This owl's very beautiful, I know your friend will love it."

"All righ' then," Hagrid said gleefully, clapping his hands together. "I should probably go an' pay fer her then. Goodbye Sara, hopin' I see you at Hogwarts."

"Bye Hagrid," Sara said. Hagrid took down the cage from the shelf and, after waving at Sara, went away to pay for it. When he was out of sight, Sara resumed her search of looking for her own owl. When Sara reached the end of the row, a loud hooting struck her ears and she turned her head to see an excited looking Barn Owl flapping about in its cage. It looked at Sara and then went about flapping it's wings, as if it were trying to impress her. The little bird's energetic attempts made Sara smile, which made the owl even more excited. Feeling brave, Sara raised her hand to the cage and slipped a finger inside. The owl stopped flapping it's wings for a moment and stared at her finger curiously. After a few seconds of staring, the owl gave a hoot and nibbled her finger, making Sara giggle.

"Are you interested in this one miss?" asked the owner as she came over to her.

"Yes please," said Sara.

"You got yourself an excited one there," said the owner. "You're lucky he likes you, or he would've bit your finger off."


	6. Chapter 6 by OpenBookLina

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. OpenBookLina owns chapters 1-11 and Sara, David, Marcus, Kiera, and Izzy. Story originally by OpenBookLina.**

* * *

Chapter 6

"Happy Birthday Sara!" Jon and Sophia sang as Sara took a deep breath and blew out all the candles on the cake. Jon and Sophia clapped as Sara smiled. Sophia had fixed up Sara's favorite Cinnamon Swirl Cake, covered with sweet white icing, and green letters spelling out Happy Birthday Sara on the started pulling out all eleven candles from the cake while Sophia went over to the cupboard to get them some plates.

"What did you wish for Sara?" asked Jon.

"I can't tell you Papa, or it won't come true!" Sara said with a sly smile. Jon chuckled as Sophia came back with the plates. After it was all sliced up, the three of them made their way to the dining room, where they took a seat and ate their cake. Sara was still marveled at everything they had accomplished today. She had everything she needed for school, and now she was spending a splendid birthday night with her Papa and Nana. The other end of the dining room table was laden with brightly colored birthday gifts, all wrapped and topped with big fluffy bows and ribbons. Sara told Jon and Sophia they didn't have to. Everything they had gotten her at Diagon Ally was good enough for her, but they waved her protests aside. Sara ate her warm, delicious cake, the Cinnamon melting in her mouth.

"Thank you so much Nana, it's great," Sara said.

"You're welcome dear," said Sophia. "I'm glad you had a good time today."

"Me too," said Sara.

"I'm glad Mr. Weasley was there to help us out," said Jon. "Although I've never met anyone who was so interested in Muggles."

"You two seemed to get along well though Jonathon," pointed out Sophia.

"He's a good chap," said Jon. "Plus, I think I'll need someone to talk to while Sara's away."

"Honestly Jonathon, you need to make yourself some friends," said Sophia, rolling her eyes. Sara busted out laughing, nearly choking on her cake. Jon only chuckled again, and continued eating.

Once everyone was finished with their cake, it was time to open presents. Sara eagerly took the first box into her hands and unwrapped it. Jon and Sophia watched with smiles on their faces as Sara opened each and every one of her presents with glee, taking joy as her entire face lit up and she would leap into their laps and hug them tightly every time. For her birthday, Sara got some jewelry, a journal, a stack of books, a music box, movies, clothes, new shoes, a wristwatch, and a brand new camera. It was the camera that made Sara squeal with delight and nearly tackle Jon out of his seat. Sara's number one pleasure in life was taking pictures. She loved how cameras captured one single moment, preserving it forever. It was the perfect tool for saving memories. The very first disposable cameras Jon had ever gotten her were used up the very next day, and she begged him to get them developed as soon as possible. When she is older, Sara wanted to become a professional photographer and have her very own studio. This camera was the perfect gift, for it had film, and she could use it at Hogwarts! Sara expressed her gratitude by smothering Jon's face with kisses.

Not even five minutes after opening all her gifts, Sara was already having tons of fun with her camera, taking pictures of nearly every little thing she saw. She took pictures of her and Jon, and Sophia as she was drinking some late night tea. After about a half hour or so, Jon looked over at the clock on the wall and saw that it was almost ten thirty at night, and said that it was time for bed. Just as Sara was about to protest, she was suddenly cut off by a large yawn and didn't even bother arguing. Giving hugs to Jon and Sophia, Sara sleepily shuffled her way up the stairs to her room. Once she was there, she got into her night clothes and sat down cross-legged on her bed, where her owl was sitting. Sara gently stroked his soft feathers as she smiled at him. She had decided to name him D'Artangan, after a character from one of her favorite books, The Three Musketeers. D'Artangan certainly lived up to his name; he was so full of spunk and excitement. Sara was pretty sure if D'Artangan was face to face with an Eagle, he would still try to pick a fight. However, when he wasn't flying around like a lunatic, he was soaking up all of Sara's affection, sitting perfectly still when Sara would pet him.

Sara watched as he nibbled her fingers, staring at her with his large dark eyes. All of Sara's books were stacked neatly on her desk, and she was already reading one of them, Quidditch Through the Ages. Her robes were all hung up in her closet, and the rest of her equipment stood against the far wall next to the door. Today had been such a wonderful day, one of the best birthday's she's ever had. She couldn't believe she was going to Hogwarts in just a little over a month. Just a little longer and she'll be in a place she's always dreamed of going to, learning magic with people like her. It was almost impossible to comprehend.

Do you think we're ready?" she asked D'Artangan. He gave her a feeble hoot and nibbled her fingers again.

ooooo00000OOOOO00000ooooo

_One Month Later_

Sara woke up extremely early, around seven or so, and the very first thing she did was look at her calendar. September first…today's the day! Sara's smile stretched so wide it could probably to reach across the Atlantic. She jumped out of bed and leaped high into the air, punching it with her fist. Now she was definitely wide awake, and going back to sleep was the last thing on her mind. She spun around in a circle a few times, giggling to herself, feeling as light as a feather and as merry as a school girl. Once she stopped spinning, Sara pulled her trunk to the middle of the floor, popped it open, and began packing all of her books and other equipment. Still smiling, Sara neatly folded her robes, stacked them in a pile, and placed her cauldron in the corner. When she had everything she needed for school packed, she stood up and started searching her room for some of her own personal things. Sara grabbed her necessities, such as her toiletries, hair brush and things like that. Then she took her sketchbook, pencils, camera, photo albums, a few of her own books, a couple pictures, her glass figurines, and her own day clothes for the weekends.

After placing the last few things in her trunk, Sara closed the lid and snapped it shut. She suddenly heard a sharp tapping on her window and looked up to see D'Artangan standing outside on her window ledge. Sara got to her feet and went over to the window to open it for him.

"There you are D'Artangan," said Sara as he flew into the room. "I was afraid you wouldn't get back in time."

D'Artangan did a couple laps around the room and then he landed on Sara's shoulder, brushing his wing against her cheek. Sara giggled again, then she held out her hand to him. He stepped onto it and then Sara walked him over to his cage, placing him inside before closing the door and locking it shut. Going back to the window, Sara saw the first signs of early morning start to appear. The sky was becoming much lighter now, a periwinkle was starting to mix in with pink and gold clouds. The air was fairly warm, and Sara could see the paper boy beginning his rounds on the sidewalk below. Closing the window, Sara went over to her dresser to find an outfit for today. She settled on a pair of capri jeans, navy blue sandals, and a baby blue, quarter sleeve shirt, with silver stars stitched across the front. While she put on her sandals, Sara reached over to her bedside table for her necklace. Once she had it on, she pulled her hair back into a loose pony tail and left the room. She quietly went downstairs, careful not to wake up Jon or Sophia. However, when she reached the bottom of the stairs and walked through the living room to the kitchen, she found Jon already sitting at the table.

"Morning sweetheart," Jon said as she came in. "I thought you might be up this early."

"Morning Papa," Sara said. She walked over to the table and settled herself into Jon's waiting arms. He held her for a long moment, kissing the side of her head. A pinch of sadness started leaking its way into Sara's heart. No matter how excited she was to go to school, she cannot deny it will be extremely difficult to say goodbye to Jon when the time came. It would be hard getting used to not seeing him every day, hear him in the kitchen in the morning, preparing them breakfast, and seeing her off to her old Muggle school. Sara tried not to think of the time when she would have to say goodbye to him for the next few months. They held each other for a few more minutes before separating. Jon gave her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"How about I make you some chocolate chip pancakes?" he said. "We're not leaving until about nine, and Mr. Weasley's going to meet us at the station."

Sara nodded, then she went to take a seat at the table while Jon got up. About twenty minutes later, the house was full of the smell of pancakes and burnt chocolate, and the delicious scent must have awakened Sophia, because just as Jon was getting ready to serve, she came strolling into the kitchen, clad in her pale blue nightgown, her eyes itching with tiredness, but a warm smile on her face. After saying good morning to Jon and Sara, she set the table for all of them, laying out an old tablecloth she had made when Sara was just a toddler. It was scarlet red with golden trimmings. Sara loved it because it was Gryffindor colors. Helping her Nana set the table, she took a whiff of the pancakes and her stomach started to growl and rumble. Jon brought over the plate with the leaning towers of hot cakes to the table. Sara sat back down in her chair and took the first two pancakes while Jon went to get the syrup.

"So are you excited about today?" Sophia asked her.

"I can't wait!" Sara said happily.

"Do you have your pocket change for the train?"

"Yup, it's in my trunk."

"That's a good girl," Sophia said as Jon came back to the table and took his seat next to Sara. While they all began eating their breakfast, a silence fell between them. Sara wondered how she would be eating her meals at Hogwarts. She knew all meals took place in the Great Hall, but she didn't know who cooked them. Magic or no magic, she highly doubted anything could beat Jon's pot roast. She drowned all of her cakes in sticky syrup, and started eating, a little slower than usual. She knew this was the last breakfast they would be spending together for a while, and she wanted to make the best of it.

"Do you know what classes you have?" Jon asked her.

"Not yet, I only know a couple of the basics," said Sara. "I know about Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Charms. I'm actually looking forward to Charms, I think that will be my favorite."

"Really? How so?" asked Jon.

"I just think it's a very interesting and fun subject," said Sara. "I want to learn how to do charms like what Nana did to my door."

"Charms was fairly simple for me when I was in school," said Nana. "Maybe it will be simple for you too. All of your classes will come in handy for when you are older. Did you read any of your books?"

"Yeah, I read all of them," Sara stated proudly. "They were all very fascinating, especially Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Most of the creatures in that book are ones I've never even heard of! Are there any Unicorns at Hogwarts?"

"I'm sure there are," said Jon. "They were your mother's favorite creatures. Whenever she got detention in the forest she would wander off to find some. Now don't you get any ideas."

"I won't Papa," Sara giggled. "I promise. Papa…will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine darling," Jon reassured her. "There's no doubt I will miss you, every single day, but I will be happy knowing you are at a good school and that you will be comfortable there. I'd rather you learn magic properly, and you can tell me everything about what you've learned once you come back for the Christmas vacation. I always knew this day would come, although sometimes I wish it hadn't. I'm very happy for you Sara. I love you."

"I love you too Papa," said Sara softly. "I'm really going to miss you too."

Jon leaned over and gave her a tender kiss on top of her head while Sophia smiled at them.

"You don't need to worry sweetheart, I'll drop by as often as I can to keep your father company," she said. "Now, best you eat up all your breakfast, and make sure you have all of your things packed up before we leave."

"Okay," said Sara, going back to her food. It didn't take her much longer to eat her pancakes, and when she was done, she washed her dishes and then headed upstairs to make sure she had everything. She looked around her room, double checking to make sure she had everything she needed. Convinced she had everything, Sara grabbed her trunk and suitcase, heading downstairs to put them in the living room before she went back up to get D'Artangan. While she brought him downstairs, she heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it," Sara said, already knowing who it was. She quickly walked down the last few steps, put D'Artangan's cage on top of the sofa, and went over to the front door, opening it to reveal Mr. Weasley's cheerful face.

"Good Morning Sara," he greeted.

"Good Morning Mr. Weasley," Sara said, stepping back to let him inside. "How are you?"

"I'm quite well, thank you," he said as he came into the front hall. "Are you excited?"

"Definitely!" Sara said with the largest of smiles. Mr. Weasley chuckled at her as Jon and Sophia came out of the kitchen.

"Mr. Kanebridge!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed. "Good to see you again, and you too Mrs. Macino."

"Good to see you too Mr. Weasley," Jon said extending his hand. While Mr. Weasley shook his hand, Sophia left to go get changed for the day. When she came back downstairs and everyone was all set, Jon and Mr. Weasley grabbed Sara's baggage while she carried D'Artangan's cage out to the car.

ooooo00000OOOOO00000ooooo

Sara was literally bouncing with joy as they all made their way across the lobby at King's Cross Station, pushing along the cart that had all of Sara's things in it, with D'Artangan perched on top. She was almost skipping as she walked, her spirits so high they could probably burst through the ceiling. Together the four of them made their way through the station, passing through the herd of people, looking for platforms nine and ten. Mr. Weasley and Jon were once again engaged in conversation, and Sara's heart was beating excitedly while she pushed her cart. After making many turns down different ramps, they finally found the platforms they were looking for. While they all walked down platform nine, Sara stared around at all the Muggles that were walking past her. It was amazing to her that none of them knew there was a secret doorway leading to another world right under their noses. They all continued walking until they came to the middle of the platform, where Mr. Weasley led them over to a thick and tall stone built column that was separating the platforms.

"Okay now Sara, what you need to do is head straight for the wall," said Mr. Weasley as he stood next to her. "I will go through with you and your father and grandmother will follow us. You ready?"

"Yes," said Sara, bracing herself for whatever might happen. Mr. Weasley placed one hand on the cart and the other on Sara's shoulder, and then they started walking towards the column. Soon they broke out into a sprint and just as they were right in front of the wall, Sara closed her eyes, half expecting to just crash right into it. However there was no collision, and when she opened her eyes again, an incredible sight met her eyes.

It was a brightly lit station, with an enormous crowd of people standing around a scarlet steam engine that read The Hogwarts Express at the front. The air was filled with steam and the sound of excited children who were boarding the train. Sara took in everything around her with the outmost enthusiasm. She suddenly felt a different hand on her shoulder and she turned around to see Jon standing behind her with Sophia. She smiled at him and he smiled at her in return.

"My God, it feels as if nothing has changed at all," said Sophia, gazing at the train. "It's like I was just here yesterday with your mother."

"Come on, let's get your stuff on board," said Jon, his voice a little low. They followed the line of carts down until they came towards the middle of the train. Sara grabbed D'Artangan's cage so Jon and Mr. Weasley could take hold of her trunk and suitcase. A porter in a red and black uniform came out of the train and offered his assistance. Together all three men were able to lift the trunk onto the cart, along with D'Artangan and the suitcase as well. After Jon thanked the porter for his help, the reality of everything that was going on suddenly hit Sara like a wrecking ball. She fully realized what was happening and where she was going. She also realized it was only mere minutes before she was away from home…away from Jon. She hung her head so her hair fell over her face, and she could feel her eyes begin to water. After about a minute, she saw Jon's hand come out of nowhere and gently lift her face up until it was level with his, for he had gotten down on one knee in front of her. Without hesitation, Sara threw herself at him, latching her arms around his neck. Jon held her tightly against him, as if he never wanted to let go.

"I love you so much Papa," she mumbled into his shoulder, a few tears slipping from her eyes.

"I love you too sweetheart," he said. "More than anything in the world. I want you to have fun okay? And don't forget to write."

"I won't," Sara said. Reluctantly, they broke out of their embrace and Jon wiped away her tears. As he stood to his feet, they heard the sound of the whistle being pierced through the air, and another porter was walking down the train, yelling a five minute warning for passengers to get on board.

"You have to get on dear," Sophia said softly. Sara went over to her and gave her a tight hug, inhaling her spicy scent.

"I love you Nana," Sara said.

"I love you too Sara," Sophia said, returning the hug.

"Have fun Sara," said Mr. Weasley.

"Thank you Mr. Weasley," said Sara. "For everything."

Mr. Weasley nodded at her. When Sara let go of Sophia, she turned to face the train, grabbed the railing, and hoisted herself up. She automatically opened the first window on the left so she could see Jon. When she had it open, she stuck her arms and head out while Jon came over. He took one of her hands and softly kissed the back of it. They took a moment to look at each other and Jon pulled a strand of hair out of her face, smiling.

"I love you my little Sara-bee," said Jon. "Always."

"Love you Papa," Sara said. At that moment, the train whistle blew again and Sara could hear the engine start to kick to life. The wheels on the train slowly started to move forward, and Sara refused to let go of Jon's hand. Jon walked alongside the train, and as it began to pick up speed, their arms started stretching further and further apart. Soon enough, the train began moving too fast for Jon to follow and Sara hand slipped out of his fingers. Sara waved at Jon, Sophia and Mr. Weasley as she moved further down the track, watching them grow smaller. Then the train rounded a corner, leaving the station, and they fell out of sight.


	7. Chapter 7 by OpenBookLina

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. OpenBookLina owns chapters 1-11 and Sara, David, Marcus, Kiera, and Izzy. Story originally by OpenBookLina.**

* * *

Chapter 7

Sara continued staring out of the window for a few more seconds before she pulled herself back inside. She reached down to gather her suitcase and trunk in one hand, and D'Artangan's cage in the other. He was wide awake and full of energy, flapping his wings while he stared all around, taking everything in with his huge eyes. As soon as she had a good hold on everything, Sara started making her way down the aisle, trying to find a compartment. The ones she passed were all full of students talking together in large groups, and some of them were already dressed in their uniform and using magic. While she walked, Sara had to dodge a couple of kids who were chasing each other down the aisle, laughing gleefully. She continued walking down the cart, trying to find a compartment so she could relieve her aching hands from all of her luggage. Just as she was about to give up, she heard her name being hollered.

"Sara!" Sara quickly turned to see the boy she met in the bookstore, David, coming out of one of the compartments she just passed.

"Would you like to sit with us?" he asked her. "We have plenty of room."

"Um, all right," Sara said, a little shyly.

"Do you need some help?" he said, coming over to her. Without waiting for an answer, David reached down and took hold of Sara's trunk. After mumbling a soft "Thank You", Sara followed David into the compartment.

"I found another newbie," David announced proudly as they entered. "This here is Sara."

Sara stared around at the other people in the compartment. Sitting on the left was a boy who seemed to be around David's age. He had long, dirty blonde hair that didn't go past the top of his ears, large, round and bright blue eyes, and he was fairly tall, even when he was sitting. He wore black pants and an electric blue T-shirt with a gray hoodie. Directly opposite of him was a young girl with lovely chocolate brown hair like David's, only hers was made up of tight curls. She had a kind, heart shaped face, and her eyes matched the color of her hair. She wore dark blue jeans, and a short sleeved, V-neck shirt that was emerald green. This girl also wore many multi-colored bracelets on both of her wrists. Sara smiled timidly at them as she entered, a nervous knot twisting in her stomach.

"This is my best mate Marcus," said David, pointing over to the boy. "And this is my baby sister Kiera."

"Stop calling me that!" Kiera said. "You know I hate it when you do that."

"I know, that's why I do it," David said with a smirk. "Anyway, Sara's going to bunk here with us until we get to Hogwarts."

"It's nice to meet you Sara," said Kiera with a polite smile. "You can sit next to me if you'd like. I wouldn't want to have you sit with those two imbeciles."

"Excuse me? I'm not the one who had egg on her face this morning," said David as he picked up Sara's trunk and placed it on the rack above her heads. Kiera merely glared at her brother as he took Sara's suitcase from her and put it up next to her trunk. Sara made her way over and sat down next to Kiera, putting D'Artangan's cage between them. Being around all these new people, he began to hoot excitedly, stretching his wings.

"I like your owl," said Kiera as she observed him.

"Thanks. His name's D'Artangan," said Sara. She reached into her pocket and pulled out some owl treats. She slipped her fingers through the bars of the cage, holding them out to him.

"D'Artangan? From the Three Musketeers?" asked Marcus as the owl eagerly gobbled up the treats.

"You named your owl after a candy bar?" said David, raising his eyebrows.

No, he's a character from a book," giggled Sara. "It's about three men who are part of the royal guard in seventeenth century France. D'Artangan was a man who uncovered a plot to assassinate the king and ended up joining the Musketeers."

"Interesting, I've haven't read very much Muggle books," said Kiera. "My owl's name is Pepper, I already let her out for a while, she hates being cooped up for too long. I just hope she gets back before we get there."

"She will be fine Kiera, she's a smart owl, she'll know where to go," said David. "You trying out for the Quidditch team this year Marcus?"

"You bet," said Marcus. "Walker's going to need all the players he can get now that Stephen, Gordon, and Leslie left. What are you aiming for?"

"Either Seeker or Beater," replied David with the outmost excitement. "But I'm leaning more towards Seeker, just like my dad."

"Our dad was a very popular Quidditch player while he was at Hogwarts," said Kiera. "Him and another player on the Gryffindor team, they really went at it on the field. Did anyone in your family play Quidditch Sara?"

"I know my Grandfather did," said Sara. "He played for Gryffindor."

"Everyone in my family plays," said Marcus. "My Grandfather played with the Chudley Cannons for a while before he injured his knee. My sister Izzy isn't fond of Quidditch though, she's more interested in being a Healer."

"Who in their right minds would want to be a Healer after having Snape as a teacher?" said David, a look of disgust on his face.

"Who's Snape?" asked Sara and Kiera together.

"Snape is the Potions master at Hogwarts," said David. "He's a sleazy slimeball who hates everyone and always favors the Slytherins. In my first week of school he took away ten points from Ravenclaw because I accidently made my potion explode in front of him."

"What do you mean accidently?" said Marcus, a knowing smile on his face.

"That's not the point," said David. "It was completely unfair and he was being an absolute git about it."

"Well, don't get caught next time," said Kiera simply.

"Not that easy when you're dealing with Snape," said Marcus.

"Just wait, you two will see in your first class," said David. Sara grew a little concerned. She definitely didn't want to cause her house to lose points in their first week.

"Are you girls excited?" asked Marcus.

"Please, this one wouldn't shut up about it all summer," said David, rolling his eyes and pointing at Kiera. "It was bloody annoying."

"Last time I checked, you were dancing around the house in your old Wylie Coyote pajamas to Merry Tunes the summer before you came," said Kiera, grinning. David's cheeks instantly went pink and he glared daggers at her before pouncing on her in the seat while Marcus doubled over laughing. Sara couldn't help but laugh as well as she watched the two siblings wrestle around on the seat, and in the end, it was Kiera who had David in a head lock, giggling evily as she held his arm behind his back.

"Uncle?" she asked him slyly.

"Never!" he exclaimed. Kiera gave his arm a tiny twist and he gave a grunt.

"All right, all right, Uncle!"

Kiera gave a satisfied smile and released him. David once again glared at her, flexing his arms. Then he went back over to sit next to Marcus, who was nearly on the floor laughing, holding his sides.

"Wait until the guys here you've been outsmarted and beaten by your little sister," Marcus said once he was able to control his breathing.

"Shut up!" said David grumpily.

"Come on Davy, you were asking for that one," Marcus said, snickering. Sara laughed at David's expression, feeling more and more comfortable around him, Kiera and Marcus.

"What about you Sara?" said David, quickly changing the subject.

"I've been waiting for this ever since I was little," replied Sara, a bright smile on her face. My mother and grandmother used to tell me all kinds of stories about Hogwarts from when they went there. It's all I've been thinking about all summer."

"At least you only think, this one here never shuts up," gesturing over towards Kiera. She responded by shooting her foot out and kicking him in the shins. Sara giggled and Marcus chuckled as David groaned and rubbed the spot Kiera kicked him, grumbling under his breath. Sara couldn't believe how tough this little girl was, she definitely didn't want to try picking a fight with her.

"That's what you get for teaching her how to fight," said Marcus.

"Trust me, I'm regretting it," David said. At that moment, the door to the compartment slid open to reveal a tall girl with short blonde hair that reached her shoulders and sapphire blue eyes.

"Hi Izzy," said Kiera as she entered.

"Hey Kiera," said Izzy, a huge, excited grin on her face as she came in and took a seat next to David. "You guys won't believe what Fred and George just told me!"

"Garrett Coffman finally bathed?" David exclaimed, his eyes widening and pressing a hand to his chest as if her were having a heart attack.

"No you idiot!" said Izzy. "I swear I have no idea why you were ever put into Ravenclaw."

"He has the brains, he just doesn't like to use them," said Kiera.

"What is it sis?" said Marcus.

"Well," said Izzy, lowering her voice and leaning towards them. "Fred and George told me that Harry Potter is on the train!"

"What?" David and Marcus yelled while Kiera's mouth dropped open. "Are you serious?"

"Keep it down!" Izzy shushed. "Yes I'm serious. They were helping him load his stuff onto the train and they didn't realize it was him until they saw his scar. They even asked him."

"Unbelievable," said Marcus. "Harry Potter on this train!"

"I heard he was sent away to live in an orphanage until he got his letter," said David.

"I heard he went to stay with a secret Wizarding organization," said Izzy. "That they trained him since he was a child and hid him from the world until he could go to Hogwarts."

"But that wouldn't make sense," said Kiera. "Why would they send him to Hogwarts if they were already training him and teaching him magic?"

"To cover up their location probably," said Izzy, shrugging her shoulders.

"Come on Izzy, the idea alone is ridiculous," said Marcus.

Sara was silent as the others continued debating, her mind completely stunned. Harry Potter was on the train? The Harry Potter? The Boy Who Lived? That's almost impossible to comprehend. No one has seen or heard of him in ten years. Some people were starting to think he fell off the face of the earth. Anything is possible.

Harry Potter is a name known by every witch, wizard, and magical creature worldwide. He is referred to as The Boy Who Lived, for he had done the impossible: He had been the only person to survive the Killing Curse, one of the three deadly Unforgivable Curses, by the most feared and powerful dark wizard of all time. Lord Voldemort. Now Sara didn't know very much about Voldemort or the terrible things he has done, as she was only a baby during his reign, but she had heard enough from her Nana to know the horror and pain that followed him everywhere he went, and all the innocent people he had killed, both wizards and Muggles alike. He and his faithful followers, known as the Death Eaters, spread chaos all across the country, and for the longest time, it seemed that nothing could stand in his way.

But then, on Halloween night ten years ago, something incredible happened. Voldemort had gone to a place called Godric's Hollow, where Harry Potter was living at the time, and murdered his parents, James and Lily Potter, in cold blood. Harry was only an infant, and Voldemort tried to kill him as well. But he couldn't do it. Something had happened that night when he tried to kill the small boy that practically destroyed him. Some say he died, but others say it was only his body that was ruined, and that he was still out there somewhere, binding his time, weak and waiting. Somehow, Harry Potter had stumped Lord Voldemort, and no one has seen or heard of him since. That is why he is The Boy Who Lived, for no one had ever survived once Voldemort decided to kill them. No one but Harry Potter that is. The entire Wizarding World was amazed that one boy could live after an attack like that. He survived and was the cause of Voldemort's demise, even if it might be temporary. To this day, Voldemort still strikes fear into the hearts of everyone, so much that there are very few who even say his name, which Sara found quite silly. Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself.

"What do you think Sara?" came David's voice.

"What?" said Sara, snapping out of her train of thought.

"About Harry Potter," said Izzy. "Isn't it amazing that he is on the train? Where do you think he could have been all this time?"

"Maybe he was living with relatives," said Sara, shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't think he has any relatives," said Kiera thoughtfully. "Didn't Uncle Kurt say both of his grandparents were dead David?"

"He has some distant cousins or something here in Britain," said Sara without thinking.

"How do you know that?" said David, raising his eyebrows.

"Um, well," said Sara, wanting to kick herself. "My grandfather worked with Harry Potter's grandfather, they knew each other at school."

"Oh my God, really?" said Kiera excitedly. Sara only nodded her head. That was a secret Sara had always kept to herself. One of Sara's earliest memories was visiting her grandparents in Italy during the summer. Her Pop-pop would set her down on his lap outside near the vineyard, and he would show her his old photo albums full of pictures of when he was much younger. Some of those pictures were of him in his old Quidditch uniform with his teammates, one of whom was Harry Potter's grandfather. Sara didn't like to brag about it to anyone, and she tried avoiding the subject so no one would nag her with questions about her Pop-pop.

"That's incredible, they really knew each other?" said Marcus.

"How do you know they were friends?" asked David, a small hint of doubt in his voice.

"David!" said Kiera with a frown of disapproval.

"It's okay," said Sara. "They met by playing Quidditch together, my Nana keeps his old albums in her house. He used to show them to me when I was very little, and for a while they worked together. He was really upset when the Potters passed away, he said he only saw their son James once, not long after he was born."

"Wow, really? Do you think your grandfather would mind us looking at some pictures?" asked David, earning him looks from Izzy and Kiera. Sara's face fell a little as an all-too-familiar pain tugged at her heart.

"No," she said softly. "He died when I was seven."

"Oh, I'm sorry Sara," David said uncomfortably, receiving a punch in the arm by Izzy, with Marcus mouthing "You idiot."

"It's all right," said Sara, putting on her best smile. "He meant a lot to me, and I really want to be sorted into Gryffindor because that's the house he was in."

"That's really nice Sara," Izzy said smiling. "I'm in Gryffindor house."

"Yeah, our grandpa nearly had a heart attack when he found out," said Marcus. "We thought he would disown her."

"Why?" asked Sara.

"Both of our families have been in Ravenclaw for years," explained Kiera.

"And even though our grandparents are not snobbish, they take great pride in it," said Izzy. "You should have heard the letter they sent me a few days after we told them."

"Heard the letter?" said Sara.

"Let's not go into that," said David, snickering loudly. Sara was about to ask, but then decided that she probably didn't want to know. She continued talking to her new friends, feeling more at ease. Izzy, Marcus, and David told her and Kiera all about their times at Hogwarts. David and Marcus boasted about all the times they had snuck down to the kitchens to steal some treats and bring them back up to the dormitories. They also talked to Sara about Quidditch, and she listened with great interest as they talked about all the games they had gone to. After a while of talking about school and Quidditch, Marcus suggested playing a game of Exploding Snaps. Kiera, David and Sara agreed, but Izzy said she was going to find her friends Fred and George and that she would catch up with them later. Sara waved goodbye to Izzy as she stood up and left the compartment while Marcus stood and reached up to his trunk to get the playing cards.

The four of them played Exploding Snaps for the next hour or so, and Sara was having a blast. It felt so good to hang out with kids like her and feel like she belonged. At her old school, she didn't really have many friends to spend time with. Her only close friend, Abby, had moved away last year, so Sara usually kept to herself. But Kiera and the others were different, just like her, and she felt like she can truly be herself around them. While they played, green fields and hillsides ran past the window as the Hogwarts Express cut clear across the countryside. Sara took in the beautiful scene as they went by, completely amazed. It reminded her more of her visits to her Pop-pop and his plantation just south of Verona. She savored those memories of her and him playing out in the vineyard, hiding through the clumps of plants as they played hide-and-seek. She would definitely love to go there again someday. They kept on playing until the compartment door opened and an elderly woman poked her head in, pushing a cart full of what appeared to be a variety of treats.

"Anything off the trolley dears?" she asked them sweetly. David instantly shot up out of his seat and practically leaped towards the cart, looking like a child on Christmas morning.

"Food!" he said happily.

"Yeah, my brother's a bottomless pit," said Kiera, rolling her eyes. Sara giggled a little at David's enthusiasm for treats and got up to get some herself. Paying the lady a handful of Sickles, Sara came back inside with a couple of Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and a Pumpkin Pasty. Her mouth hung open as she watched David go back to his seat and dump two armfuls of food into the space between him and Marcus.

"Did you buy the whole cart?" asked Sara as Kiera sat down next to her with her own snacks. David didn't answer, for he had already ripped open a Pumpkin Pasty and stuffed it in his mouth. Kiera just shook her head while biting into a Licorice Wand. Sara took one of her Chocolate Frogs and stared at the wrapping for a moment.

"These aren't real frogs are they?" Sara asked uncertainly.

"No, it's just a spell," said Kiera, laughing a little. "Each pack has a famous witch or wizard card in them. David collects them, and so does Marcus."

"They're really neat," said Marcus, helping himself to one of David's treats. "I have about seventy or so Balter McKaggle ones. I'm trying to get more of Dumbledore though."

"Well, with everything David's got there, I don't think that will much of a problem," said Kiera. Sara and Marcus burst out laughing while David threw a frog at Kiera, his mouth too full of Pasty to yell. Once Sara regained control of her breathing, she opened up her chocolate frog and was just able to catch it before it made a jump for the window. When she took a bite out of it, she looked to see which wizard card she got. On the back of the wrapping was a picture of a wizard, dressed in what appeared to be medieval nobleman clothing. He had long, dark hair and a confident stance, his clothes red and gold. She looked down to the brief description of the wizard to see his name. Godric Gryffindor.

"I've got Gryffindor!" she said excitedly.

"Wow, a Hogwarts founder on your first frog," said Kiera.

"It must be a sign," said David. "Maybe you will be in Gryffindor."

"Sara smiled as she stared down at the card. Gryffindor. That would make her Pop-pop so proud! They all dug into their snacks, with David finishing all of his in about twenty minutes. When they were all done eating, David and Marcus had another round of Exploding Snaps while Sara and Kiera talked and got to know each other more. It turns out Kiera and David lived on the outskirts of Yorkshire, about an hour or so away from Sara' home. They lived with their parents on their family's old estate, which covered about thirty acres. Kiera loves to ride her horse around in the fields, and she has dreams of owning her own horse ranch when she was older. Her father worked in the Magical Law Enforcement office at the Ministry of Magic, and her mother owned her own Potions shop in Diagon Ally. Kiera was very interested in Muggles, much like Mr. Weasley. Sara told Kiera about her home in Yorkshire, and that her Papa worked as a travel agent for Europe Airways. She also talked about her Nana's home in Italy, her Pop-pop, and the Muggle school she used to go to. It was long before the girls were laughing with one another, and Sara was happy she had made a new friend already.


	8. Chapter 8 by OpenBookLina

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. OpenBookLina owns chapters 1-11 and Sara, David, Marcus, Kiera, and Izzy. Story originally by OpenBookLina.**

* * *

Chapter 8

Sara and Kiera continued talking as the sky outside steadily grew darker and darker until it was pitch black and Sara could hardly see a thing out of the window. After a little while Izzy once again showed up at the compartment door, saying they would be at Hogwarts in about fifteen minutes, and that they should all get their robes on before disappearing down the hallway again. Sara's heart leapt in her chest and her excitement doubled. It won't be much longer now. She and Kiera took their robes out of their trunks and left to go change in the bathrooms while the boys got changed in the compartment. Once they both had their robes on, they rejoined David and Marcus, and Sara sat right next to the window, staring outside and hoping she would catch one small glance of the castle. After a few more minutes, the train started to slow down until finally coming to a halt. Sara looked out to see that they were at a platform that was dimly lit by many oil lights.

"You girls leave your luggage here, they take it all up to the school for us," said David. He and Marcus started to leave the compartment and Sara stopped by D'Artangan's cage.

"I'll see you later D'Artangan," she said to him. Then she followed the others out into the hallway and onto the platform which was quickly flooding with students.

"Firs' years!" called a booming voice over the sea of heads. "Firs' years this way!"

Sara looked up to see the gamekeeper, Hagrid, standing high over everyone on the platform with a lantern swinging from his hand. He was beckoning the students over to him, his wild beard as tangled as ever.

"Guess this is where we must part ladies," said David.

"You're not coming?" asked Sara.

"No, only the first years go up to the castle in the boats with Hagrid," said Marcus. "The rest of us take the carriages."

"So we'll see you two at the Sorting Ceremony," said David. "And remember Kiera, if you're not put into Ravenclaw you'll be disowned. But no pressure though."

"Thanks a lot Dave," said Kiera.

"I'm here for you sis," said David with a wide smile, patting her shoulder. "We'll see you guys later."

"Bye," said Sara and Kiera together, waving at them as they left with a group of their friends towards the carriages. Sara turned to Kiera with a grin on her face.

"Come on," she said eagerly, taking Kiera's hand and pulling her along after the first years that were following Hagrid's giant figure. The line of students trailed behind Hagrid off of the platform and down a winding dirt path that led them to a gigantic lake where several little longboats lined up along the rocky shore, along with a very large one that Sara guessed was meant for Hagrid to ride in.

"All righ' now, no more than four to a boat," said Hagrid. "Move along now."

"How are we supposed to row ourselves to the school?" whispered Kiera. "There are no oars."

"I don't know," Sara whispered back. The girls went towards a boat where a girl with frizzy hair and a plump boy were already climbing into.

"May we please ride with you guys?" Sara asked them.

"Of course," said the girl with a polite smile. "I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Neville Longbottom."

"Hello," said Neville, giving a shy wave. He appeared a little anxious and was holding what seemed to be a rather large toad in his right hand.

"It's nice to meet you Hermione, Neville," said Sara as she stepped down into the boat. "My name's Sara Kanebridge, and this is Kiera Prescott."

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you," said Hermione. "Oh this is all so exciting, I heard Hogwarts is quite splendid, the best place to learn the magical arts. I read all about it of course in Hogwarts, A History, it was fascinating. I've also read all of the things they will be teaching us, I tried a few spells and they've all worked perfectly. Have either of you read any of the spell books?"

"I've read some of them," said Kiera. "But I haven't tried any of the spells yet."

"Oh, they're quite simple, it all depends on the pronunciation and wand movement," Hermione gushed.

"My Gran thought it would be best if I didn't try any spells before I went to school," said Neville quietly. "She said she didn't want me to blow myself up before term starts."

Sara was about to ask, but at that moment the boat gave a slight jolt forward and the next thing Sara knew, the boats carrying all of the first year students were all gliding across the moonlit lake by themselves, with Hagrid in the lead. Everyone in the boat fell silent and Sara sat up straight, straining her neck so she could try to see the school through the dense fog that hovered over the surface of the lake. After what felt like forever, but what were merely minutes, Sara could faintly see the flickering of lights. She squinted her eyes, trying to figure out what the lights were, but there was no need, for after a few more minutes, the source of the light revealed itself from behind the fog and Sara's eyes widened just as a loud chorus of "Ohhh!" reached her ears.

Shifting out of the darkness was a magnificent castle sitting at the top of a huge rocky perch, surrounded by the lake and a thick forest on its sides. The towers stood high and proud, overlooking all that lay below them. The flickering lights were coming from the windows and Sara gazed up at it in wonder. Cassandra and Sophia's stories had nothing compared to the real thing. The castle was enormous, made entirely of stone and looming over everyone. Everyone continued staring at the castle as the longboats took them around to the side, where they came upon a large archway.

"Down!" Hagrid hollered, ducking his head so he wouldn't hit the stone ceiling. The first years followed his movement, ducking all of their head as they came to the archway. Once they had gotten past it, a boathouse came into view. Hagrid's boat sailed along right up next to it and he hopped out. The rest of the boats proceeded in the same fashion, coming along the side so everyone could climb out onto the dock.

"Hello there Sara," said Hagrid with a friendly smile as she got out of the boat with Kiera.

"Hi Hagrid," she greeted him. "It's good to see you again."

He nodded at her and she stood to the side to let the next boat of people come by. When everyone was out of the boats, Hagrid led them all up a never-ending fleet of stairs that took them up to the main castle They all walked up the stairs until they came to a courtyard that had a pair of double doors on the other side that led inside the castle. Sara couldn't stop smiling even if she wanted to, and her heart was racing inside of her chest, her stomach full of butterflies. She was practically skipping as Hagrid walked them up to the doors and when they reached it, Hagrid knocked three times. Sara suddenly heard the clicking of many locks before the doors slowly started to open, revealing a huge entrance hall that could easily fit three mansions, and had another fleet of stairs on the right hand side, going to the upper floors, and was brightly lit by many torches aligned on the walls. Ahead of them was another set of closed doors, where a woman dressed in emerald green robes and cloak was standing. She was a stern looking woman, with dark hair that was pulled back in a tight bun in the back of her head, square spectacles on her nose, and a pointed witch's hat.

"The firs' years, Professor," said Hagrid as he brought them all inside.

"Thank you Hagrid," the woman said, nodding to him. Once everyone was inside and standing in front of the woman, the front doors closed behind them and when Sara turned her head, she saw that Hagrid disappeared.

""Welcome to Hogwarts," said the woman. "My name is Professor McGonagall, I am one of the staff members here. The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."

Professor McGonagall turned around and headed towards the doors to the Great Hall, opening it slightly and disappearing behind it. Sara swallowed nervously. She had no idea how students were sorted into their houses. That's one of the few things Sophia never told her.

"How are they going to sort us into houses?" she asked Kiera.

"I don't know," replied Kiera, sounding just as nervous. "David never said. Trust me, I tried getting him to tell me. I hope we don't have to do some kind of test."

The idea of doing a test in front of the whole school made Sara's stomach churn. They can't honestly expect them to pass a test on their very first night in front of the other students can they? She looked around at everyone else and saw that they looked absolutely terrified. Well, everyone except for Hermione Granger, who was whispering excitedly about which spell she might need. Sara suddenly sought the need to play with the hem of her sleeves. Just then, several people around her screamed, causing Sara to jump and stare around wildly. She gasped loudly at what she saw.

About twenty or so pearly white ghosts casually came streaming through one of the walls. They were all gliding effortlessly around the entrance hall, talking to one another, and not even taking notice of any of the first years standing below, dumbfounded. The ghosts all seemed to be arguing amongst themselves. A fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and Forget I say, we ought to give him a second chance—"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost-I say, what are you all doing here?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

"New students!" exclaimed the Fat Friar with a large smile. "About to be sorted I suppose?"

Sara nodded with a few other people.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice from behind them. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin."

Professor McGonagall had returned to fetch them. All of the ghosts nodded and followed one another through the wall opposite of them.

"Now form a line and follow me," Professor McGonagall instructed the first years. Sara went into line, standing behind Kiera and in front of Hermione. As the others got themselves situated, a new, unexpected wave of nerves came crashing down on Sara in that instant. Her heart started picking up its pace and a small note of fear creeped its way into it. What if there really was a test that had to be done in front of the school? And if she somehow miraculously passed this test, how would they know which house to put her in? What if they put her in Slytherin? After all the dark and horrible tales she's heard about that house, she didn't think she could look Jon or Sophia in the eyes when she returned home if she was placed there. Something in her face must have expressed her fear, because she felt a soft squeeze on her shoulder and she turned to see Hermione smiling encouragingly at her. She gave a small smile in return as Professor McGonagall led them across the hall and once they passed through the set of double doors, Sara couldn't help but gasp, her nerves temporarily forgotten.

The Great Hall was more wonderful than she could have ever imagined. Floating in midair where thousands and thousands of candles. They were all floating over four long tables that nearly stretched from one end of the hall to the other, and they all sat the rest of the students. As they walked by, Sara saw golden plates and goblets litter the surface of these tables, all gleaming in the candlelight. Sara heard Kiera give out a breath of awe, looking up at the ceiling. Sara followed her gaze and saw a velvety black ceiling, with puffs of clouds and stars scattered all about. It was beautiful, and it reminded her of her own ceiling at home. Professor McGonagall led all the first years up to what looked to be the teacher's table. She gathered all of them in front of the table so that they were all facing the rest of the school. The other students were staring at them in curiosity, and Sara felt a little uncomfortable. The knot in her stomach began to tighten painfully, and she tried to take a couple of silent, deep breaths to calm herself. She turned to see Professor McGonagall come forward with a four-legged stool and place it in front of the line of first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat that looked like it had seen better days. It was all patched up and extremely dirty. For a few seconds everyone stared at the hat in silence. Then, the hat suddenly twitched, a rip near the brim opening like a mouth. Sara's own mouth opened slightly as the hat began to sing:

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can top them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a steady mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

Once the hat finished it's song, the entire hall burst into loud applause. The hat gave a low bow to each of the four tables before going completely still again. The knot in Sara's stomach loosened up a great deal. All they had to do was put on the hat. That seemed like the simplest thing in the world to do, although she was interested to know exactly how the Sorting Hat put people into houses. When all the applause died down, Professor McGonagall came forward holding a very long piece of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A timid looking girl with blonde pigtails slowly came towards the stool, twiddling her thumbs together. She took a seat on the stool and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head. There was a moment's pause as everyone waited.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat, it's voice echoing throughout the Great Hall. The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah took off the Sorting Hat and went over to join them, a bright smile on her face.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted again, and Susan went over to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!" The table second from the left cheered as Terry went to sit with them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brown, Lavender!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Bulstrode, Millicent!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Sara watched as more and more first years were called forward to the stool and sorted into their houses. On and on the list went, and then Hermione was called. She eagerly hopped up on the stool and practically jammed the hat on her head. A moment of silence, and then-

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Sara smiled as Hermione scurried over to the Gryffindor table. Some of the Gryffindors shook her hand as she took a seat, and her face was glowing. The sorting continued, the line of first years growing smaller and smaller as each name was called. After a couple more minutes, Professor McGonagall yelled out yet another name.

"Kanebridge, Sara!"

Sara's heart felt like it was crashing inside of her chest and her stomach automatically felt queasy again. Taking a large gulp, Sara walked out of the line and over to the stool. She picked up the Sorting Hat and once she was sitting, she slowly pulled the hat over her head until it fell over her eyes and she could see nothing but black. She waited anxiously, gripping the sides of the stool.

"Well now," said a small, quiet voice in her ear. "What have we here? Let me see…there is such outgoing talent in you, gracious yes, very powerful. Also a bright mind. There is fierce loyalty and courage in your heart, no doubt about that. I also see so much love and compassion in your heart as well, you are not one to abandon your friends or not defend them, even if it is at your own personal risk, and you put other's need before your own. Hmm, definitely one of my more challenging ones. The question now is, where shall I put you?"

Sara's grip on the stool tightened, and her heart beat faster as her nerves racked her body. Please, not Slytherin.

"Not to worry," said the voice. "I wouldn't dream of putting you in Slytherin, not with the heart and mind you have. Quite a difficult choice, you have qualities each house values. Bright, yet loyal, kind and brave. Hmm, possibly…very well, I know exactly what to do with you. It had better be…GRYFFINDOR!"

Nothing in the entire world could keep the smile off of Sara's face as the Sorting Hat shouted the last word out to everyone in the Great Hall. Sara took off the hat, jumped off the stool, and quickly made her way over to the people sitting at the Gryffindor table, who were all clapping and cheering loudly for her. She went over to the table and sat down next to Hermione, who was smiling at her. Sara took her seat, feeling more happy than she's ever been in her life, even more than when she first received her Hogwarts letter. Her insides felt so warm, and she could just imagine her Pop-pop smiling down on her right now.

"Congratulations Sara," said Hermione.

"Thanks Hermione," said Sara. When the clapping stopped, Sara looked on with the others as the rest of the first year students were being sorted. It turns out that Neville Longbottom was right after Sara and he also made it into Gryffindor. Sara clapped along with everyone else as he stumbled toward the table. The line of students kept getting smaller as the minutes passed. After a boy named Draco Malfoy was sorted into Slytherin, there weren't too many people left.

"Moon…Not…Parkinson…Patil…Patil-"

"Potter, Harry!"

Sara's senses went on full alert and she stared in wonder as a young boy shakily stepped out of line. Wow, thought Sara. So this is Harry Potter. He had a mess of jet black hair on his head that stood up in all directions, like he had just gotten out of bed. He also had blinding green eyes that stood out on his pale face. He was pretty small and skinny, and seemed even more so as he made his way over to Professor McGonagall. Everyone waited with baited breath as the Sorting Hat was placed on top of Harry's head. It was so quiet one would have thought someone had just died. The minutes seemed to crawl by as everyone stared at Harry, and, after what felt like hours, the hat finally made its decision.

"GRYFFINDOR!" it bellowed.

The whole table was in an uproar as Harry received the loudest cheer yet. Sara clapped along with everyone else as a pair of twin boys shouted "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry took off the hat and made his way over to them, looking a little dazed. He sat down a couple of seats down from Sara and was getting lots of pats on the back, including one from the ghost wearing the tights they saw earlier out in the entrance hall. After Harry was seated, there were only a few people left to be sorted.

"Prescott, Kiera!"

Kiera looked extremely nervous as she stepped forward. She sat down and put the hat on her head. A couple minutes passed…

"RAVENCLAW!"

Sara smiled sadly as Kiera went over to the Ravenclaw table to join David and Marcus, who were cheering louder than any of the others. As soon as Kiera sat down, David leaned over and gave her a one-armed hug. When Kiera was settled, there were only four people left. Dean Thomas became a Gryffindor, Lisa Turpin became a Ravenclaw, Ronald Weasley became a Gryffindor, and Blaise Zabini became a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up the scroll took the stool and Sorting Hat away. Up at the teacher's table, an old man stood to his feet and opened his arms wide as if to embrace everyone there, absolutely beaming. He had been sitting at the center of the table in a large, golden throne-like chair. He had very long, silver hair and beard with twinkling blue eyes, half-moon glasses, and a long, crooked nose. Something in Sara's head clicked and she knew instantly who this was. Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, and the greatest wizard in the world.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin the banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

As Dumbledore sat back down, students once again cheered and clapped, but Sara just sat there, completely confused. She didn't have much time to think about it, for at that moment mounds and mounds of food suddenly appeared out of nowhere all along the table. Sara had never seen so much food on one table before in her entire life! There was roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, strangely, peppermint humbugs. Sara's mouth instantly began to water and her stomach grumbled. Taking a fork in her hand, Sara put some roast chicken, potatoes, peas and gravy on her plate and began to eat. It was all delicious.

"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruffle sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.

"Can't you-? " said Harry.

"I haven't eaten in nearly four-hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"It's nice to meet you Sir Nicholas," said Sara.

"As it is to meet you, fair lady," said Sir Nicholas, nodding at her with a smile.

"I know who you are!" said Ronald Weasley. "My brothers told me about you-you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-"

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?" interrupted a boy with sandy hair, Seamus Finnegan.

"Like this," said Sir Nicholas irritably. He reached up to grab his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell on to his shoulder as if it were on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but had not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Sir Nicholas flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed and went on.

"So-new Gryffindors!" I hope you are going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable-he's the Slytherin ghost."

Sara glanced over at the Slytherin table a saw a terrible looking ghost sitting there. He had blank, dark eyes and his robes were stained with silver blood.

"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus.

"I've never asked," said Sir Nicholas. Sara smiled and continued on eating her food. When everyone was finished with dinner, the remains on the plates vanished, as if they had never been there. Then, a variety of different desserts appeared on the dishes, ranging from ice cream to doughnuts. Sara put some strawberries on her plate, along with some chocolate pudding to dip it in. By this point, the discussion had turned to families.

"I'm half and half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch until after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

Everyone laughed at that and Sara listened as Neville told his story. Some of them were really interesting, and she was glad to see that there were other kids who had grown up not knowing any magic also.

"How about you Sara?" asked Neville.

"I'm the same as Seamus," she replied. "My dad's a Muggle and my mom's a witch. She told him not too long after they were dating and then married soon after. But she walked out on us when I was six years old."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Neville, going a little red.

"It's okay," Sara assured him, waving it off. It was a long time ago, and it doesn't bother me anymore. I love my Papa, he tried so hard to have me grow up knowing about both worlds even though he couldn't do any magic. I had my Nana there too, but it was mostly me and him."

"That must have been hard though, doing it all by himself," said Hermione.

"It was at first, but it got better," Sara agreed. "I can't wait to tell him that I'm in Gryffindor."

"I can't wait to start our classes! I'm really excited about Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, like animals into teapots and things like that."

"I'm excited too, but more for Charms," said Sara. The two girls talked more about the classes they were going to take until dessert was over and everything once again vanished from the plates. Professor Dumbledore stood to his feet and the hall fell silent.

"Ahem-just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start of term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.

I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madame Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Sara wanted to laugh, but she would've been one of the very few who did. Professor Dumbledore couldn't be serious…could he?

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. He gave his wand a little flick and a long golden ribbon flew out of it. The ribbon went high into the air and twisted itself into words. Dumbledore told them to choose a tune that fitted them best, and then everyone started to sing.

_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts_

_Teach us something please_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With interesting stuff_

_For now they're bare and full of air_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff_

_So teach us things worth knowing_

_Bring back what we've forgot_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest_

_And learn until our brain all rot_

Everyone finished the song at different times, and Sara laughed quietly as the pair of twin boys she saw earlier sang to a very slow funeral march. Once they were all done, Dumbledore sent them all off to bed. Sara stood up from the table and she followed the group off Gryffindor first years over to a tall boy with flaming red hair and horn rimmed glasses. The boy announced himself as Percy, the Gryffindor Prefect, and told them all to follow him. Percy led them all out of the Great Hall and up the main staircase. Sara watched in astonishment as all the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered, pointed, and waved at them as they walked by, and Sara waved back to them. She tried memorizing the way Percy was taking them so she wouldn't get lost, but she knew she was only fooling herself. Tomorrow she knew she was going to be wandering around like a mouse in a maze. They seemed to walk on and on and Sara rubbed her eyes, not realizing just how sleepy she was. They climbed more and more stairs until they came to a sudden halt. Several floating walking sticks were dancing in a circle and blocking their way down the corridor. Percy took a step towards them and then they started throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves," he mumbled. "He's the Poltergeist. Peeves! Show yourself now!"

Somewhere in front of them, a loud raspberry was being blown.

"Do you want me to get the Bloody Baron to deal with you?" Percy threatened. Suddenly there was a little man sitting crossed legged were the walking sticks had been, a wicked grin on his face.

"Ooooooooh, how delightful, Ickle Firsties! What fun!" he said.

"Go away Peeves, or the Baron will hear about this, I mean it!" Percy yelled. Peeves merely smiled and stuck his tongue out at him before zooming away.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy as they continued making their way down the long corridor. "The Bloody Baron is the only one who can control him. Here we are."

They came upon a large portrait at the end of the corridor of a very fat lady wearing a silk pink dress.

"Password?" she asked them.

"Caput Draconis," replied Percy. The Fat Lady nodded at him and then the portrait swung open to reveal a round hole in the wall. Everyone scrambled through it, and Sara helped Neville by giving him a leg up. On the other side of the hole was a huge and spacious common room. It was round and filled with comfortable looking couches and armchairs. There was a roaring fireplace on the right hand side with crackling flames, a few wooden tables here and there, and lovely tapestries on the walls. Percy directed the girls through one door leading to the girl's dormitories and the boys to theirs. Sara followed the rest of the girls through the door and up a spiral staircase that led to the top of one of the towers. There they found their beds, four-posters with deep red velvet curtains. Next to the bed closest to the window was all of Sara things, and D'Artangan's trunk was sitting on top of her trunk.

"Hey D'Artangan," said Sara as she went over to him. The little bird screeched excitedly as Sara unlocked his cage and held out her arm to him. D'Artangan stepped out onto her arm and flapped his wings, looking at her gleefully.

"He's so cute," said Parvati Patil.

"Thanks," said Sara. "I should probably let him out for a while, he's been cooped up way too long."

She walked over to the window and undid the lock on it. Once she had it open, she stuck out her arm and D'Artangan instantly took off, flying into the night. Sara closed the window and turned back to her trunk. She was so tired all she could think of right now was sleep.

"That was a great feast wasn't it?" said Hermione as everyone got dressed into their night clothes. "I simply can't wait to start our lessons tomorrow."

All the other girls nodded, too tired to say much of anything at the moment. After slipping in to her pajamas, Sara climbed into her soft bed and drew the curtains around it, bidding Hermione goodnight before she did so. She slipped underneath the thick warm covers and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillows.


	9. Chapter 9 by OpenBookLina

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. OpenBookLina owns chapters 1-11 and Sara, David, Marcus, Kiera, and Izzy. Story originally by OpenBookLina.**

* * *

Chapter 9

The following week proved to be the most confusing and interesting one Sara had ever dealt with. For one thing, she kept getting lost on the way to all of her classes, and the classes themselves were extremely challenging. She quickly realized that there was a great deal more to magic than just waving a wand around. There was much more depth to the concepts of magic, and it was harder than Sara believed it would be.

However, that did not mean she didn't enjoy her classes. On Wednesday nights they would study the stars and planets in the sky, and she was ecstatic when she caught sight of a comet, earning Gryffindor house points. Herbology took place out in the greenhouses, and it dealt with all kinds of magical plants and herbs. On Sara's first day, she accidentally planted the wrong seeds and had these black and slimy vines crawling up her arm in an iron grasp. Sara's favorite class by far was Charms and she liked the tiny little wizard who taught it, Professor Flitwick. While taking roll during their first lesson, he gave an excited squeak when he reached Harry Potter's name and fell off the pile of books he was standing on. Professor Flitwick had them copy some notes out of the book and amused them all by creating multi-colored bubbles from the tip of his wand.

The most challenging class so far was Transfiguration. This subject was taught by Professor McGonagall, who turned out to be the head of Gryffindor house. She made it very clear to them that there was to be absolutely no foolishness in her class, and she would not hesitate to punish any sort of reckless behavior. For their first assignment, they had to transform a match into a needle, and no one was able to accomplish this except for Hermione Granger. It wasn't until Friday came around that Sara was starting to remember where all of her classes were. She made her way down to the Great Hall with Hermione for breakfast, the two of them talking about the Transfiguration homework McGonagall had given them the day before. When they reached the hall, they took a seat at the table and started to load their plates with food.

"What's on our schedule for today?" Sara asked as she scooped some scrambled eggs onto her plate.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Hermione. "It's supposed to be one of the most difficult subjects in magic, especially with Professor Snape. I've been hearing that he is very strict."

"Hermione, I doubt there is any class that is difficult for you," said Sara with a smile. "You're the smartest witch in our year, you can do anything."

"Not really," Hermione protested, going a little pink. "I can just excel at some things more than others."

"You excel at everything," countered Sara. "I never would have gotten through McGonagall's homework without your help. I honestly don't know why you weren't put into Ravenclaw with Kiera."

Before Hermione could respond, there was a loud screech and the girls looked up to see that the mail had arrived. Mail at Hogwarts was delivered by owl and every morning, about a couple dozen or so of them came streaming in through the windows carrying letters, newspapers, and packages. Among today's owls was D'Artangan, who was swooping towards Sara. When he was directly overhead, he dropped a letter right into Sara's lap. Grinning widely, Sara tore open the envelope while D'Artangan landed next to the pitcher of apple juice in front of Hermione. Sara eagerly unfolded the letter and her grin grew even wider as she recognized Jon's handwriting.

_Dear Sara,_

_How are you darling? I miss you so very much already, and I was so excited when I received your letter. I first want to congratulate you for making Gryffindor, your Nana and I are very proud of you, although I must say you certainly gave us a run for our money, knowing you would be placed there. I know your grandfather would be extremely proud of you as well, we all know you will do well in that house._

_Your classes sound very interesting, I'm glad you are enjoying them. Have you really planted Peeping Poppies? They were your favorite flowers when you were little, when your mother used to plant them out in the gardens. I'm happy to hear you like your Charms class. Make sure you do your very best in all of your classes. The castle sounds wonderful, are you having any luck remembering where everything is yet? I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon. I'm so happy to hear you've already made some friends. Hermione and Kiera sound like really nice girls, please tell them I said hello and would like to meet them sometime. David and Marcus remind me of me when I was younger. Yes, believe it or not, your old dad used to be daring and cool._

_Does Harry Potter really go to Hogwarts as well? That's truly fascinating, Nana went into an hour long rant about it when I told her. I remember when your mother told me about him, you were only a year old when he became famous. He is one of the most famous wizards of all time. And everyone is gossiping about him? The poor lad, it must drive him completely insane. Well, I can only hope he makes it through the school year all right._

_I miss you too Sara, more than I can say. Not much is going on here, I'm not used to having the house all to myself. I miss when you would only get up in the morning when you smelled breakfast cooking and when we would spend the afternoon together watching our favorite show. I know, I sound like a babbling old man, but I can't help it. I just miss my little girl. The Christmas Holidays seem too far away. I can't wait until I can finally hold you in my arms again sweetheart, and I'm sure you will have loads of stories to tell me when you come home. Well, there's not too much more I can say now, I can't wait to receive your next letter. Don't leave out anything, I want to know what you've been up to with your friends. Keep up the hard work. I love you so much, I'll talk to you soon._

_Love Always,_

_Papa_

Sara smiled as she folded the letter back up and carefully placed it back inside the envelope. It felt really good to hear from Jon, she misses him so much. She couldn't wait until the holidays started and she could go home to see him. Hermione also received a letter from her parents. They were Muggles too, and they were equally proud of her as Jon was with Sara. When they were done eating their breakfast, the girls stood up from the table, grabbed their bags, and walked towards the entrance hall to see Kiera waiting for them. Sara indeed felt very lucky to have made such wonderful friends. Although Kiera was in Ravenclaw, they would hang out together whenever they had the chance. Sara would pair up with her when they had classes together, and they would walk together if they were heading in the same direction. Hermione is a very smart witch, but she was also a very sweet person once you really got to know her. She and Sara would study together in the common room and Hermione would always help her with her homework. Sara didn't like it when people would call Hermione a know-it-all, they didn't know her like she did. But it didn't matter, because Hermione and Kiera would always be there to listen and talk with her. She was so happy they got along, and she couldn't ask for better friends.

After greeting Kiera at the doors, the trio started walking across the front chamber towards the dungeons to the Potions Room. They all chatted and laughed over small things while they descended the staircase. Once the temperature started to become rather cold and they were almost at the bottom, Kiera turned back up the stairs so she could make it to her Charms lesson. Waving goodbye to her, Sara and Hermione walked together through the dungeons until they found the right room. It was extremely dark and dingy, with animal parts floating in glass jars, dusty potion volumes sitting on moldy shelves, and rusty cauldrons sitting on tables. Most of the class was here already, so Sara and Hermione made their way over to a table next to Harry and his friend Ron. Some of the Slytherins were pointing and whispering behind Harry's back, and Sara rolled her eyes. You'd think they would have something else to gossip about by now. Honestly, Harry wasn't an animal at the zoo to oogle at all the time. She was sure he was getting annoyed by it.

At that moment, the chamber door burst open, and Professor Snape walked in. He was a tall man, with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin. He also has black eyes. Cold, dark black eyes that instantly sent shivers up Sara's spine. The entire class fell silent as he entered, and he gave them a once over with his empty eyes. He started class by doing roll, like Professor Flitwick had done. When he called Harry's name, he paused for a moment.

"Ah yes," he said softly. "Harry Potter. Our new-celebrity."

A Slytherin boy with blonde hair and his friends sniggered, and Sara furrowed her eyebrows at Snape. What was that about? Professor Snape continued calling out names and when he was done he looked up at the class.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. "As there is little foolish wand waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the soft simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through the human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death-if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Complete silence followed Professor Snape's speech. Sara had no idea what to make of it, and she was feeling very uncomfortable. Snape obviously expected nothing but the best in this class, and she didn't know if she could live up to it. Hermione, however, was sitting on the edge of her seat, listening to every word Snape was saying, and Sara tried her best not to smile.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly, making Sara jump in her seat. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

The what to the what? Sara's mind was buzzing as everyone looked over at Harry. He looked positively dumbfounded and glanced at Ron for help. Hermione's hand shot up straight into the air.

"I don't know sir," Harry answered.

Tut, tut-fame clearly isn't everything," Snape said with a sneer. Sara scowled at him.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand higher into the air, but Snape refused to acknowledge it. Why was Snape picking out Harry like this? He can't possibly expect him to have read and memorize everything in their potions books can he? That wasn't fair. Sara watched helplessly as Harry sat in his seat, completely confused.

"I don't know sir," Harry said again. The blonde Slytherin and his friends looked on the verge of cackling with laughter and it took everything Sara had to not turn around and snap at them.

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh Potter?" said Snape. "What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Sara sat up straighter in her seat. She knew the answer to this question, and judging by the way Hermione stood up from her seat to answer, she did too. Sara looked over at Harry and then raised her own hand, trying to draw Snape's attention.

"Sir, if Harry doesn't know, I can-"

"If I recall Miss Kanebridge, I called on Potter, not you, so therefor there is no reason for you to speak. Answer the question," said Snape, turning back to Harry. Sara slowly lowered her hand, blood rushing to her cheeks.

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does though, why don't you try her?"

Some of the other first years laughed and Sara had to bit her lip to stop herself from joining them.

"Sit down," Snape snapped at Hermione. "For your information Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

As everyone started pulling out their quills and parchment, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor will be taken for your cheek, Potter."

After taking notes, Snape had everyone get into pairs and gave them instructions on how to brew a simple potion made to cure boils. He swept around the class, observing everyone as they worked on their potions. He criticized every person he walked by, except for the blonde boy, whose name turned out to be Malfoy. Sara and Hermione worked quickly with their potion, as Hermione knew exactly what she was doing, explaining it in a way that Sara understood. Just as Sara was carefully adding her crushed snake fangs to the cauldron, there was a loud hissing noise and some green smoke suddenly filled the air. Sara turned and gasped as she saw the cauldron at Neville's station melt into a blob and his potion spill off the table onto the floor. Everyone quickly stood on their stools to escape the potion, and Neville cried out in pain as red boils started to spread across his body.

"Idiot boy!" said Snape, getting rid of the potion with a wave his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as more boils appeared on his face and Sara's heart instantly went out to him. Poor Neville.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Seamus got down from his stool and helped Neville to his feet leading him out of the room. While Sara stared sadly after them, Snape suddenly turned to Harry and Ron.

"You-Potter-why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Though he'd make you look good if he got it wrong did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

What? Sara clenched her teeth and was about to step down from the stool towards him, but Hermione grabbed her shoulder and stared at her, silently warning her not to say anything. Keeping her mouth shut, Sara glared at Snape. What in the world was his problem? Why does he hate Harry so much? And why was he constantly picking on Gryffindors so much? Now Gryffindor has already lost two points in their first week. It's completely unfair. The entire class worked silently for the next hour, and thanks to Hermione's help, they both got full credit on successfully brewing their potion. As soon as the bell rang, everyone snatched up their things and herded towards the door. Sara and Hermione started climbing the stairs leading out of the dungeon, and it wasn't until they were well out of earshot that Sara started.

"What in the name of Merlin was that all about?" she said loudly. "That was absolutely unnecessary and unfair! Putting Harry on the spot like that and making Neville feel bad? He's a terrible man!"

"Maybe he just has a different way of teaching," said Hermione.

"Hermione, he made Harry and Neville feel like morons, and he took two points away from Gryffindor for no reason! And the way he snapped at you! You have no idea how much I wanted to say something."

"It's a good thing you didn't," said Hermione firmly. "You would have gotten into serious trouble and he would have taken away more points from Gryffindor."

Sara didn't say anything. Instead, she gave out a frustrated huff and continued walking up the steps. The first years had Friday afternoons off, and Sara was looking forward to a nice time sitting out by the lake. But maybe she would go up to the hospital wing first to see how Neville was doing. Those boils looked pretty bad. The girls kept climbing the staircase until they reached the top that led out into the entrance hall. Just as they were about to go up the main staircase to the upper floors, Sara felt a soft tap on her shoulder, and she turned around to see Harry standing behind her with Ron.

"Hi, um, Sara?" he said. Sara nodded at him.

"Thanks for trying to help me out down there," he said apologetically. "I'm sorry he gave you a hard time about it."

"Don't worry about it Harry," said Sara. "He was being rather nasty towards you and you didn't deserve it. He's the one who should have gotten boils all over his face."

"Yeah," said Harry, chuckling. "Well, thanks again."

"You're welcome," said Sara, smiling at him. Harry turned back to Ron and then they both headed out the oak double doors. Sara turned back to Hermione and the two of them made their way up. After climbing a couple of flights, Hermione said she needed to do some studying in the library and that she would meet up with Sara later in the common room. Once they exchanged goodbyes, Sara kept going higher and higher until finally coming to the doors of the hospital wing. She knocked a couple times before slowly cracking the door open and poking her head in. Neville was seated on a bed to Sara's left and was being treated by Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse. Madame Pomfrey was dabbing at Neville's face, which still had some red blotches on it.

"Hi Neville," said Sara as she came inside.

"Hi Sara," said Neville glumly.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she came up next to his bed.

"He will be," said Madame Pomfrey. "These blotches will clear up momentarily. Best you be more careful Longbottom, we don't want you coming in here every week do you?"

"No," said Neville.

"Good. All right then, you're all set to go. Off you go now."

"Neville thanked her, then he slipped off the bed and followed Sara out of the hospital wing.

"Did I miss anything else in Potions?" Neville asked her.

"We finished up the potions we were making, then Snape had us copy some more notes. And he gave us an assignment that's due on Monday."

Neville groaned loudly, pure helplessness written all over his face. Sara felt so sorry for him, and she knew he probably wouldn't be able to catch up on his own.

"Hey Neville, I was thinking about going outside to sit by the lake for a while. Would you like to come with me? You can copy the notes you missed and we can start the assignment together," said Sara.

"Really? You…you don't mind helping me?" he said uncertainly.

"Of course not Neville," Sara replied, smiling kindly at him. "I'd be happy to help you."

Neville's face broke out into the first true smile Sara had ever seen on his face.

"Thanks Sara. You're really nice," he said, almost bashfully. She just kept smiling at him and they walked down the stairs together. They made it down to the entrance hall, then they walked out the front doors into the sunshine. Neville and Sara made their way past the courtyards and across the grounds towards the lake. As they walked, Sara noticed that the red spots on Neville's face were clearing up and were almost gone. Soon they found a nice spot right next the bank underneath a beautiful Willow Tree. The two of them sat down by the roots behind a veil of green leaves, leaning against the trunk.

It was a gorgeous day. The sun was set high into the sky, its golden rays illuminating everything below. The air was warm, and a soft breeze tickled the branches of the Willow and made the tall grass blades dance. Sara took a long breath of fresh air before getting out her notes for Neville. While he sat there copying from her parchment, Sara decided to get started on her potions essay. Two long rolls of parchment on the origins of the Draught of Living Death. Sighing heavily, Sara got out her quill and set to work. A comfortable silence passed between them as they concentrated on their work. Just as Sara was in the middle of her third paragraph, a dark shadow of a person came out of nowhere and loomed over her paper. Sara turned her head and looked up to see Malfoy and his goons standing next to them, smirking. Sara's mouth pressed into a thin, tight line. What did they want?

"Hey there Longbottom," said Malfoy. "Got your face all cleaned up haven't you? That's a shame, you looked so much better when you were covered in pimples."

Malfoy's friends both chuckled. Neville's face instantly went red and he tried to hide himself behind his book.

"Aw, what's wrong Longbottom? You scared to show your prickled face?" said Malfoy.

"Can we help you with something?" Sara snapped at Malfoy. "If not, we would appreciate you leaving us be."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, did we interrupt your date?" said Malfoy. "Please accept our apologies. Never thought you would go for a fat lump like Longbottom here."

"Well, you're not exactly the best thing to look at either," said Sara. "Tell me, were you dropped as a baby or does your face look like that naturally?"

Malfoy fell silent after Sara's words. His eyes narrowed and anger clouded his features. Sara really couldn't care less. She wasn't going to sit there and let Malfoy abuse Neville like that.

"You better watch yourself," said Malfoy. "You don't know who you're talking to."

"I know exactly who I'm talking to," said Sara in a low voice. "Now if you're finished, we would like for you to leave."

She and Malfoy glared at each other for a moment, neither of them giving in. After a few minutes, Malfoy turned his nose up at her, then he and his posse left without a word. Sara watched them go, her dislike for the boy growing ten-fold.

"Wow," said Neville. "Thanks again Sara. Remind me never to make you angry."

"Sara couldn't help but smile and laugh. She pushed Malfoy into the very back of her mind as her and Neville continued on with their work.


	10. Chapter 10 by OpenBookLina

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. OpenBookLina owns chapters 1-11 and Sara, David, Marcus, Kiera, and Izzy. Story originally by OpenBookLina.**

* * *

Chapter 10

The next couple of weeks seemed to fly by on swift wings. Sara was enjoying her classes more and more, with the exception of potions. She quickly grew accustomed to the castle and all its marvelous splendors. And it was about to get even better, because today was the start of their flying lessons. Sara was ecstatic, she had been dying to get on a broom for years, and now was her chance. The only down side was that they would be learning with the Slytherins, but it hardly fazed her. She was way too excited to care. Sara was practically skipping with glee on the way to breakfast, causing Hermione to giggle. While they ate, Hermione was telling Neville about some flying tips she got out of a book and he hung onto her every word. The two of them were pretty nervous about flying and wanted to be prepared in any way they could. Everyone was talking about the lessons, and the first years who came from wizarding families were talking about Quidditch. Sara was having a discussion with Seamus about the Irish National Quidditch team when the mail arrived. D'Artangan came sweeping over the table with two letters from Jon and Sophia and a package of home baked sweets. As she untied D'Artangan's cargo, Sara noticed that Neville received a package as well. He opened it eagerly and took out a glass ball full of white smoke.

"It's a Remembrall," he said. "Gran knows I forget things-this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red-oh…"

Neville's face fell. The white smoke in the Remembrall suddenly turned bright scarlet.

"…you've forgotten something…"

Neville sat there in his seat deep in thought, trying to remember what he'd forgotten while Sara helped herself to one of Sophia's Cannoli's. All of a sudden, Malfoy came up from behind him and snatched the Remembrall out of his hand. Sara slammed her fork down and quickly jumped to her feet, along with Harry and Ron. She was dying for a reason to throw one at Malfoy, just one. However, Professor McGonagall was there in a flash, staring them down.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall Professor," said Neville.

Scowling, Malfoy dropped the Remembrall back onto the table, saying he was just looking. Then he walked away with his pet baboons behind him. Sara glared after them. She really wasn't one for fighting, but when it come to her friends and family, Sara was nothing less than a fierce mother Grizzly Bear, ready to protect the ones she cared for. She was actually glad Professor McGonagall stepped in when she did, because she knew if Malfoy made a move either her, Harry, or Ron would have responded. She knew her Papa wouldn't be happy if he got a letter from the school saying she was in a fight. He taught her better than that. Shaking off what just happened, Sara sat back down next to Hermione and continued eating her Cannoli.

"Sara-"

"I know Hermione" said Sara, sighing. "I'm sorry, but he would've deserved it."

ooooo00000OOOOO00000ooooo

That afternoon, Sara and Hermione made their way onto the grounds with the other Gryffindors for their flying lesson. Excitement was bubbling in her stomach as Sara rushed down the green slopes, with Hermione trying to catch up with her. They walked down to a flat piece of lawn on the opposite side of the grounds that led to the Forbidden Forest. The Slytherins were already there, along with twenty broomsticks lying on the ground in neat lines. Their teacher, Madame Hooch, was there as well. She had short grey hair and yellow eyes that reminded Sara of a cat.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she barked at them. Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Everyone took a spot by a broom and Sara's excitement rose even higher.

"Stick your right hand over the broom, and say 'Up!'" Madame Hooch instructed.

"Up!" everyone shouted. Sara's broom shot up into her hand instantly and her heart soared. Hermione's broom just rolled over on the ground, but did nothing else. Neville's broom didn't move at all and he looked even more nervous than ever. Once they all had their brooms in their hands, Madame Hooch taught them the proper way to mount them without sliding off and corrected anyone who was doing it wrong. When Madame Hooch felt they were all set, she went back up to the front of the lines, her whistle in her hand. Sara could barely contain her excitement and she was anxious to get her feet off the ground.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you all kick off from the ground, hard," she said. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle-three-two-"

Before Madame Hooch could blow the whistle, Neville pushed off from the ground and rose high into the air. She yelled at him to come back down but from where Sara was standing, Neville had absolutely no control of his broom. He just kept going higher and higher into the air until he was well over twenty feet. Neville looked petrified and when he glanced down, Sara saw his eyes widen in fear. He started to slip off the side of his broom and Sara gasped as he started plummeting towards the ground. In the next second, Neville smacked into the grass and a nasty crack split through the air. Madame Hooch quickly ran over to Neville's side and leaned over him.

"Broken wrist," Sara heard her mutter. "Come on boy-it's all right, up you get."

She carefully helped Neville to his feet and turned to face the class. Neville's eyes were flooded with tears as he held his wrist, his face contorted with pain.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy up to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say Quidditch! Come on dear."

Madame Hooch led Neville away and they headed up towards the castle. Sara felt so bad for Neville, but she was soon cut out of her reverie by Malfoy's laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?" he said, making the other Slytherins laugh along with him.

"Shut up Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies Parvati."

"Look!" said Malfoy, running over to a spot in the grass and bending over to pick something up. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

He stood back up, holding Neville's Remembrall tightly in his hand. Sara's eyes narrowed and she took a step forward, about to demand Malfoy to give it to her, but just as she was about to open her mouth, Harry, to her surprise, beat her to it.

"Give that here Malfoy," Harry said. Everyone around him stopped talking and stared. Malfoy looked at him and gave a rather nasty smirk. That can't be good…

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find," said Malfoy. "How about-up a tree?"

"Give it here!" Harry yelled. Malfoy responded by jumping onto a broomstick and taking off. He zoomed around for a bit, showing off all of his flying skills, before hovering over the top branches of a tall oak tree, the Remembrall still in his hand.

"Come and get it Potter!" he called. Harry didn't need telling twice, and he bent down to pick up his broom.

"No!" said Hermione. "Madame Hooch told us not to move-you'll get us all into trouble!"

Harry ignored her completely. He quickly mounted his broom and then shot up into the air. Sara and the others stared in amazement as Harry flew, his expression one of fierce joy and thrilling excitement. He must have been just as eager to fly as she was, and it was hard to believe this was his first time on a broom. By the way he moved through the air, one would have thought he had been flying all his life. Harry took his broom even higher and turned it to face Malfoy, who looked positively stunned that he had actually done it.

"Give it here or I'll knock you off that broom!" Harry yelled at him.

"Oh yeah?" said Malfoy, still looking worried. Harry shot straight at Malfoy, who got out of the way just in time before Harry rammed into him. Harry made a sharp about-face and held his broom steady.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called.

"Catch it if you can then!" Malfoy shouted. He pulled his arm back and threw Neville's Remembrall into the air. Harry immediately went after it as it started to fall towards the ground, going into a perfect dive. He stretched out his hand and when he was a mere foot away from the ground, he caught it. He pulled his broom up straight and landed safely on the grass, the Remembrall in his hand. Sara was beyond impressed at Harry's excellent flying, but before anyone could clap or cheer, a loud voice suddenly shouted behind them.

"HARRY POTTER!"

Sara turned to see Professor McGonagall running over towards them. Her glasses flashed dangerously and her eyes were wide with absolute shock, her face a mix of disbelief and fury.

"Never-in all my time at Hogwarts-how dare you-might have broken your neck-"

"It wasn't his fault Professor-"

"Be quiet Miss Patil."

"But Malfoy-"

"That's enough Mr. Weasley!"

"Harry was just trying-"

"I said enough Miss Kanebridge! Potter, follow me, now."

Harry looked extremely miserable as he followed Professor McGonagall back up towards the castle. This can't be good at all. Is Harry going to be expelled? He didn't even do anything wrong! Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were all smiling as Harry was led away.

"Sure didn't last very long did he?" Malfoy gloated. "They'll send him packing and back on the train within the hour. I figured Longbottom would have caved in before he did at least."

"Shut up Malfoy!" Sara snapped.

"Or what?" said Malfoy. Sara narrowed her eyes at him. She dropped her broom and started moving towards him, but both Hermione and Ron grabbed her arms to keep her back.

"Don't Sara!" Hermione whispered.

"He's not worth it," said Ron.

"Yeah Kanebridge, we wouldn't want you to be sent home too," said Malfoy.

"You think you are so wonderful and important just because you know how to fly a broom and who your family is!" said Sara. "I highly doubt even you could pull out of a fifty foot dive without even scratching yourself like Harry just did. And you're nothing but a coward, hiding behind your idiot bodyguards and your family's name. You're just a spoiled bully who's all talk and probably runs to Mommy and Daddy when you can't get what you want!"

A couple girls gasped and Seamus gave a whoop of encouragement.

"Don't push it Kanebridge," said Malfoy, his own eyes narrowing.

"Then shut your fat mouth then and stop harassing my friends," Sara spat at him. Malfoy glared at her, but didn't say anything. Not too long after, Madame Hooch returned and they continued on with their lesson. Sara's hands were shaking with anticipation as she clutched her broom, and the moment she kicked off from the ground, she found herself in a marvelous splendor. Although she didn't go very far or very high, the feeling of the wind in her hair and her heart thumping excitedly in her chest made her spirit soar clear across the clouds. It was such a glorious feeling and she wished she could stay up here forever. All too soon, it was time to go back inside and Madame Hooch led them all back up to the castle.

"You shouldn't have tried to pick a fight with Malfoy," said Hermione as they walked across the courtyards.

"I know," said Sara. "I'm sorry Hermione, I just hate it when people hurt my friends. And he is such an arrogant prat! He and Snape should get together for a cup of tea sometime. I know I shouldn't have gotten so angry, but I wasn't really going to fight him."

"It didn't look like that to me."

"My Papa taught me never to fight unless it's for defense," said Sara. "No matter how much Malfoy irritates me I wouldn't waste my energy on him. Ron was right, he's not worth it at all."

"I'm glad you didn't fight him," said Hermione. "I was afraid you would've gotten hurt."

"Thanks Hermione," said Sara, smiling and feeling touched by her friend's concern for her. They walked into the entrance hall and started making their way to the library to meet Kiera. When they arrived, they found her sitting at a corner table by the window reading a book. She smiled as Sara and Hermione joined them.

"Hey," Kiera greeted them. "How were your lessons?"

"They went quite well," replied Hermione. "Although I think I would much rather keep my feet on the ground. Sara was fantastic though, her and Harry were the best out there. I really hope he doesn't get into too much trouble, even though he deserves it."

"Why is he in trouble?" asked Kiera. Hermione and Sara went into the story of Malfoy taking Neville's Remembrall and how Harry got it back.

"Amazing," said Kiera when they finished. "Sounds like he would make an excellent Quidditch player."

"He's too young to play for the house team," Hermione stated. "He was being reckless, and he could have seriously gotten hurt. It was really careless of him."

"Maybe, but someone had to give Malfoy a taste of his own medicine," Sara said. "And at least he got Neville's Remembrall back for him. I hope Neville is okay, that was a very bad fall off his broom."

"I'm sure he'll be alright by dinner," Kiera assured her. "Madame Pomfrey can probably mend all his bones in a heartbeat."

Sara nodded and then the girls turned to their studies. Hermione pulled out a pile of thick heavy books out of her bag and started digging into them. A long silence fell between them all as they read or took notes. After a little while, Sara grew bored. A sudden thought came to her and she looked over at Hermione and Kiera, both of whom were completely transfixed in their books. Sara carefully reached down into her bag that was sitting by her feet and after a few seconds of rummaging around, she extracted her camera. She slowly raised the eyepiece up to her face and focused the lens on Kiera's concentrated expression. When everything was all set, she snapped the picture and the noise jolted Kiera and Hermione out of their stupor.

"Oh Sara, not again," groaned Hermione. Sara only smiled and giggled. Ever since their very first day at Hogwarts Sara has been going all over the school, constantly taking pictures with her trusted camera. She would take pictures of everything from the sky, to the lake, to books on shelves, to wands, robes, food, and shoes, and nothing pleased her more. She would also take pictures of people, and Hermione and Kiera were unfortunate enough to be her favorite targets. Sara never got tired of clicking away and since Sophia always sent her at least two rolls of film each week, she was never low on stock.

"Sorry guys, I can't help it," Sara said. She brought up the eyepiece to her face again and took a picture of Hermione's annoyed expression. Kiera giggled and placed her book down on the table. She started posing for Sara and the two of them laughed quietly as Sara snapped photo after photo. Eventually, Hermione's scowl slowly faded away and formed into a smile. Giving up and realizing she wasn't going to get any work done today, she joined in on the fun. They used up their entire study hour goofing off and posing. For one particular shot, Kiera had made such a funny face that Sara couldn't help but burst out laughing, earning her a glare and a "Shhh!" from the librarian. When they were all done with their hilarious photo shoot, it was almost time for dinner. Still giggling, they packed up all of their things, left the library and started descending the staircase to the Great Hall. Once they arrived, Kiera left to go take her seat at the Ravenclaw table while Hermione and Sara went to go sit at their own. As soon as everyone was there the food appeared on the tables and they all dug in. Sara helped herself to some steak and boiled potatoes with corn and gravy, along with a glass of Pumpkin Juice. At some point she looked down the table and saw Harry talking with Ron and the redheaded twins who she learned were Ron's older brothers, Fred and George Weasley.

"What is it Sara?" Hermione asked her.

"Harry's still here. Maybe he wasn't expelled," answered Sara. Before Hermione could respond, they saw the Weasley twins walk away and not even a minute later, Malfoy came along with Crabbe and Goyle.

"Having a last meal Potter?" Malfoy sneered. "When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly.

"I'd take you anytime on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight if you want. Wizard's Duel. Wands only-no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he has," said Ron. "I'm his second, who's yours?"

Sara's jaw dropped. Are they insane? Why in the world are they agreeing to a wizard's duel?

"Crabbe," said Malfoy. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."

They have got to be kidding! Sara could hardly believe her ears. Harry and Ron must be completely out of their minds. They are only first years, what could they possibly do in a wizard's duel? Harry was lucky enough not to be expelled. If he agrees to this and gets caught he will get kicked out of Hogwarts for sure. And Hermione think she's bad at picking fights?

"They can't do this," said Hermione, looking as shocked as Sara felt.

"I have no idea what they're trying to accomplish with this duel," said Sara.

"We have to talk some sense into them," Hermione said.

"Hermione, it's none of our business," Sara protested. However, Hermione stood up and went over to Harry and Ron just as Malfoy was walking away.

"Excuse me," she said to them.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron. Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying-"

"Bet you could," said Ron.

"-and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll use for Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"And it's really none of your business," said Harry.

"Good-bye," said Ron. Hermione scowled at them, then she turned on her heel and headed back over to Sara.

"So how did it go?" Sara asked her as she sat down.

"They're impossible," Hermione huffed.

"They're boys," Sara said simply, taking a bite out of her steak.

ooooo00000OOOOO00000ooooo

Sara awoke to a strange sound coming through the darkness of the dormitory and she moaned softly, her eyes fluttering open. Once they took a minute to adjust properly, she could make out a shadowy figure shuffling around wearing a pink bathrobe.

"Hermione?" said Sara groggily, lifting her head up slightly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to try to stop Harry and Ron," she whispered back. "Where is my other slipper?"

"What? Hermione-" Sara sat up in bed and pulled off the colors as she saw Hermione's dark silhouette go over towards the door. She quickly stood up, put on her own slippers and bathrobe and followed Hermione out the door and trailed her down the spiral staircase.

"Hermione are you mad?" Sara whispered. "How exactly are you intending to stop them? You know they are not going to listen."

"I have to try," said Hermione. "I can't let them risk any more points for Gryffindor. You should go back to bed Sara."

"I'm wide awake now," said Sara. "I'm coming too."

Hermione sighed but didn't argue with her. She and Sara opened the door to the common room where Hermione took a seat by the portrait hole. Sara remained standing, her arms crossed over her chest. She hoped Hermione knew what she was doing, Harry and Ron sounded completely serious about going to meet Malfoy tonight. They have nothing to prove to him, why would they risk expulsion? This is exactly why Sara never understood boys. Time passed by slowly as Sara and Hermione waited in the dark for Harry and Ron to show up. Sleepiness started making its way back to Sara and she fought to keep her heavy eyelids open. After a while of nothing, she finally spoke.

"Maybe they're not coming," she said.

"Wait," said Hermione, holding up her hand. There was the sound of soft footsteps coming down one of the staircases and sure enough, the door leading to the boy's dormitories opened and Sara could make out two dark figures slowly shutting the door behind them and start heading towards the portrait hole.

"I can't believe you're going to do this Harry," said Hermione, strong disapproval in her voice. She turned on the lamp that was sitting on the table next to her, revealing her and Sara's hiding place.

"You!" Ron said furiously at her. "Go back to bed!"

"I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped. "Percy-he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."

"Come on," Harry said to Ron. They started going through the portrait hole, but Hermione went straight in after them.

"Hermione, wait," Sara said, following her.

"Don't you care about Gryffindor?" Hermione hissed at them when they were all outside in the corridor. "Do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."

"Go away," said Ron.

"Hermione come on," said Sara. "If they insist on being blundering idiots and getting caught, then let them."

"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so-"

But what they were, they didn't find out, for Hermione had stopped speaking. Sara turned around to see what she was staring at and her stomach dropped. The portrait leading into Gryffindor Tower was empty. The Fat Lady had gone on some nighttime stroll and they were locked out.

"Oh no," Sara whispered.

"Now what are we going to do?" Hermione said shrilly.

"That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late."

He and Harry started walking down the corridor together. Sara and Hermione took one look at each other and then sprinted after them.

"We're coming with you," said Hermione.

"You are not."

"Oh yes we are," countered Sara. "Whether you boys like it or not, you're being followed."

"And do you really think we're going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch us? If he finds all four of us we'll tell him the truth, that Sara and I were trying to stop you, and you can back us up."

"You've got some nerve-"

"Shut up, both of you!" said Harry sharply. "I heard something."

There was a sort of soft snuffling sound coming from the floor next to them, and they all squinted to see what it was. It actually turned out to be Neville, who was fast asleep on the floor by the wall. What in the world was Neville doing sleeping out in the corridor in the middle of the night? Sara crept nearer to Neville and he quickly jerked awake.

"Thank goodness you found me!" he said, gratitude lacing his voice. "I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get into bed."

"Keep your voice down Neville. The password's 'Pig Snout', but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere,' said Ron.

"How's your arm?" Harry and Sara asked together.

"Fine," said Neville showing them. "Madame Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."

"Good-well, look Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later-"

"Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet. "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."

Ron looked down at his wristwatch and then looked back up, glaring at Sara, Neville, and Hermione.

"If either of you three gets us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned the curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about and used it on you."

Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward. The five of them made their way down the corridors silently, keeping an eye and ear out for Filch or his cat, Mrs. Norris. Thankfully, they did not run into either of them. They stuck together in a group, speeding up staircases and around corners. After a little while they finally came to the Trophy room. Double checking to make sure no one was there, Harry carefully opened the door and everyone followed him inside. Closing it behind her, Sara looked around to see that Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet. Stacked up along the walls were tall crystal trophy cases, holding all kinds of different awards. They all waited quietly for Malfoy to arrive and Harry took out his wand. The minutes crept by slowly and Sara wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a little uneasy. Five minutes passed…then ten…

"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered. Before anyone could say anything, there was a sudden noise that came from the next room, making them jump. Then, to their horror they heard someone speak, and it definitely wasn't Malfoy.

"Sniff around my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

Filch! Not even five seconds later, Sara and the others were quickly running out of the room, trying to get away from Filch's voice. Harry gestured for them to follow him and they went down a long gallery full of suits of armor. While they scurried to the end of the hall, they could hear Filch getting closer, and Sara's heartbeat doubled. Just as they were almost at the end, Neville gave a yelp of fear and broke into a run. Sara tried to stop him, but he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and then they both crashed right into a suit of armor. Sara gasped as the metal suit fell over top of Ron and Neville, the clanging and crashing sounds echoing throughout the halls.

"RUN!" Harry shouted. In the next second, all five of them were sprinting down the corridor like a herd of deer, putting as much distance between them and Filch as possible. Harry led them through corridor after corridor, the portraits and windows flying past them. Eventually, they finally found themselves outside of the charms classroom and they stopped to rest. Everyone was panting heavily, with Sara clutching her side and Neville doubled over, wheezing.

"Are you alright Neville?" Sara asked. Neville could only nod.

"I think we lost him," said Harry.

"I-told-you," Hermione gasped, glaring at them. "I-told-you."

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron. "As quickly as possible."

"You don't say?" said Sara sarcastically.

"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that don't you? He was never going to meet you-Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."

Harry didn't say anything and Sara just shook her head. He knew Hermione was right. He and Ron brought this on themselves. Challenging them to a duel was just a way for Malfoy to humiliate them and get them into trouble, and they fell for it. Despite what Harry and Ron may think of Hermione, they really need to learn to listen to her sometimes.

"Let's go," he said. Just as they started walking forward, a classroom door to their left burst open and Peeves the Poltergeist came zooming out. The minute he caught sight of them he gave a loud squeal of delight.

"Shut up Peeves," said Harry. "Please-you'll get us thrown out."

"Wandering around at midnight Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."

"Not if you don't give us away Peeves, please."

"Please Peeves," Sara begged, looking over her shoulder anxiously. "Please be quiet."

"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves. "It's for your own good you know."

"Get out of the way!" Ron snapped, taking a swing at Peeves.

"Ron, no!" said Sara.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves hollered. "STUDENTS OUT OF BED IN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

They all took off, running for their very lives. When they came to the end of the corridor, they found a door-and it was locked.

"This is it!" Ron moaned. "We're done for! This is the end!"

"This is your fault!" Sara hissed. "If you two hadn't-"

"Oh be quiet, both of you, and move over!" Hermione snarled, grabbing Harry's wand and shoving past Ron. She tapped the lock on the door and whispered, "Alohomora!"

There was a tiny click and the door instantly opened. They all filed in and shut the door behind them. Once they were safely inside, they pressed their ears against the door to hear what was going on outside.

"Which way did they go Peeves?" came Filch's voice. "Quick, tell me."

"Say 'please'," said Peeves.

"Don't mess with me Peeves, now where did they go?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," Peeves answered in his annoying singsong voice.

"All right-please."

"NOTHING! Ha haaaaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaa!"

They heard Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage. Sara let out a shaky breath she had been holding in and slumped against the door. That was close, too close for comfort.

"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay-get off Neville!"

Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's bathrobe for the last minute. His face was as pale as death and his eyes were wide and contorted with absolute fear. Sara turned to see what Neville was staring at and in that instant her heart ceased beating. Fear started spreading through her body like wildfire and her insides were filled with dread. So far, this is the worst thing that they encountered tonight. The door they had just run through did not lead to a room, but into another corridor. The third floor corridor. And Sara saw quite clearly why it was forbidden.

They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, one that filled the whole space between the ceiling and floor. It had three gigantic heads, three pairs of piercing yellow eyes, three black, wet noses, and three mouths with drool dripping down from razor sharp fangs. The dog stood quite still, staring them down and growling. Both Harry and Sara started groping for the doorknob, their hands quivering madly. They both twisted it open and everyone fell backwards out into the corridor, Harry slammed the door shut, locked it, and then they were flying back down the corridor. Sara pushed her legs faster as they raced through the castle, up the staircases and down the dark halls. In what seemed like no time at all, they found themselves back in front of the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked them.

"Never mind that-pig snout, pig snout," Harry gasped. The portrait swung open and they all rushed forward into the safety of the common room. Every one of them collapsed into an armchair, taking a moment to catch their breaths. Sara took in slow steady breaths, trying to stop her body from shaking. What exactly just happened? Why on earth is there a three headed monster in Hogwarts?

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."

"You don't use your eyes, do you?" Hermione snapped at him. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads."

"No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."

Hermione stood up from the armchair, her eyes burning as she glared at Harry and Ron.

"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could have all been killed-or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

Hermione marched away towards the door leading up to the girl's dormitories and disappeared behind it.

"No, we don't mind," Ron said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?"

"Just stop Ron," said Sara, standing to her feet. "Hermione is upset about what happened, and I am too for that matter. Yes, I know you two didn't ask for us to come along, but you are both to blame as well. If you hadn't been so desperate to prove yourself to Malfoy we wouldn't have been in that mess. Listen, I'm not angry, but I hope you two will actually use your heads next time. I'm just glad we all got out of that okay. Now, I'm going to head up to bed and check on Hermione. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

With that being said, Sara walked over to the door and started going up the stairs. It was true, she wasn't nearly as mad with Harry and Ron as she should be, but she was till irritated with them for being so careless and risking all their lives. Still, she was happy they were all safe and hadn't been caught by Filch, and she wanted to erase tonight's events from her memory. However, Hermione did give Sara something to think about. That dog was guarding something. What was it?

ooooo00000OOOOO00000ooooo

Some time had passed since their frightening adventure with the three-headed dog, and things were finally returning to normal. Harry and Ron saw the whole thing as a thrilling experience and were very interested in learning what the dog might be guarding. However, Sara, Hermione, and Neville had absolutely no desire to know what was hidden beneath the trapdoor, and it took a few days after the incident for Sara to calm and sooth Neville, for his nerves have been on edge, and he was always jumping at small things. Hermione was still furious with Ron and Harry, and was refusing to speak a word to them.

Other than that, things were going quite well. Sara could hardly believe she had been at Hogwarts for two months already. The castle was becoming more and more like home to her with each passing day, and her classes are becoming much more interesting. Now that they had gotten past the basics, all of her professors started moving on to more harder topics. Professor McGonagall taught them how to transform an averaged sized, lumpy piece of coal into a smooth pebble, and Professor Sprout had them collect pollen from Snapping Flaggers, which really lived up to their name. Outside of class, Sara was having a wonderful time with her friends. She would study with Hermione in the common room, sit outside in the courtyards with Kiera, and she even stopped to talk to David and Marcus whenever she saw them. Even though they were a pair of goofy dunderheads, they were still really funny and great to hang out with. Seeing as how Sara and Kiera have grown so close, David and Marcus treated Sara as if she were their sister too. Sara felt touched by this, having no kind of sibling relationship before now. Sara had also grown into the habit of carrying her camera with her everywhere she went, snapping random pictures. The only down side was she had to wait until the Christmas Holidays to get them developed, as Hogwarts didn't have a Dark Room.

It was now only a couple days before Halloween, and Sara was once again sitting under the Willow tree out by the lake. It had become her favorite place to be when she wanted some peace and quiet time to herself. It was such a beautiful and peaceful setting, she could barely tear her gaze away from it. The leaves on the Willow were a lovely shade of orange and gold, and most of them had already fallen to the ground. However, there was still a single pink blossom clinging to one of the branches, leftover from the long forgotten summer. Sara reached over and lightly traced the petals with her fingertips. But that was all it took for the blossom top quiver and flutter down from the branch and right into Sara's lap. She delicately took the small flower into her hand, staring at it for a moment. Then, smiling, Sara opened the book she had been reading and carefully placed the flower inside, closing the book on top of it.

"Hello ther' Sara."

Sara looked up to see Hagrid standing next to the trunk of the tree.

"Hi Hagrid," she greeted. She was used to running into Hagrid every now and then during her travels across the grounds.

"What are yeh doin' here all by yerself?" he asked her.

"Just taking some time to myself to relax," said Sara. "This place is so gorgeous, it's like a dream. I love coming here."

"I can see why yeh do," said Hagrid, nodding his head in understanding. "This place can be wonderful fer someone 'o really appreciates it. Spent most of me time sittin' on the outskirts of them trees ther. Say, I was jus' about to go tending' to me garden and collectin' pumpkins fer the feast by me hut. I could sure use the help."

"Okay," said Sara, happy to be of help to Hagrid. She packed away all of her books inside of her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and stood up to follow Hagrid. He led her across the grounds until they came to his little hut on the edge of the Dark Forest. Smoke was rising through the tiny chimney attached to the roof and hundreds of black Crows were lounging about in Hagrid's garden. While he went around the back of the hut to fetch a wooden wagon, Sara stared at the gigantic pumpkins resting in the front yard, all brightly painted and ready for picking. As soon as Hagrid came back around with the wagon, he and Sara started pulling them out of the ground and loading them up. Being so much shorter than Hagrid, Sara decided to stay with the smaller ones in the patch, but even they proved to be quite a challenge. Hagrid chuckled as Sara attempted to lift one the size of half a vacuum cleaner and gave her a hand.

"So how are yer classes?" he asked her.

"Fantastic, I'm really enjoying them," Sara beamed as she tried wrapping her arms around another pumpkin. "Professor Flitwick said he has a special lesson in mind for us very soon."

"You catchin' on okay?"

"Yeah, although I probably wouldn't have made it through some of my homework without my friend Hermione. Sometimes I understand her better than the professors."

"It gets better," Hagrid said reassuringly. "I remember me firs' year, didn' have a clue what I was getting' meself into. But I figured it out."

"I just can't believe it's getting so close to Christmas already," said Sara. "But I am excited to see my papa, even though I'm not going to want to leave. I love Hogwarts so much."

"I know exactly how yeh feel," Hagrid agreed. "What's yer father like?"

"He's a Muggle, he works for a travel agency," Sara explained as she and Hagrid lifted another pumpkin up onto the wagon. "He arranged people's travel plans and reserves places for wherever they want to go on vacation. One time he had a huge bonus in his paycheck and he took me to Scotland for the weekend. It was so amazing, the hills and mountains were so beautiful, and it was even better since it was just the two of us."

"Sounds like a good man," said Hagrid. "You mus' miss him."

"I do," said Sara. "But I'll see him soon. What's your father like?"

"He died years ago," replied Hagrid. "Jus' when I started school."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sara said quickly.

"It's all righ'," said Hagrid. "One o' the greatest men I ever knew, he was. Took care of me when I was no bigger than a loaf o' bread. After me mum left."

"My mom left us too," Sara whispered sadly. "Five years ago, not too long after my birthday. My papa's been raising me on his own ever since. He always says he wishes he could have taught me certain things about magic, he kept feeling like he was letting me down. But he could never let me down, he's done so much for me, and he made me who I am now. I honestly don't know what I would do without him."

Sara and Hagrid continued loading up the wagon with pumpkins until it was all full. Then they started heading back up towards the castle, with Hagrid pulling the wagon up the hills. Upon reaching the entrance hall, Sara decided to go and try to find Kiera. Her and Hagrid parted ways and she went up the staircase. After climbing a couple of floors, Sara soon found herself walking down a long corridor where the walls were made entirely of glass mirrors. She stared at her reflection in them as she passed by. When she was near the middle of the corridor she slowed down until coming to a halt. There was one mirror in particular that was a little strange. The sun was streaming in through the windows from the east, yet in the mirror, the sun was coming in from the west and it looked faint, as if it were about to set. But that couldn't be right. It's barely even past midday. Her curiosity getting the better of her, Sara stepped closer to the mirror. As she stared into it, Sara noticed a dim patch of orange light flickering in the mirror, slowly growing brighter. To Sara, it looked like the tiniest portion of a fire's flame. As she continued to stare at it, the contents of the mirror began to shift, and past the reflection of the walls and windows, Sara started to see the outlines of what appeared to be books stacked on a shelf and an armchair. What in the world…

Sara checked up and down the corridor to make sure she was really alone. Seeing that no one was around, Sara turned back to the mirror. Hesitating slightly, she raised her hand up to the polished glass and, ever so gently, place it on top of the little orange glow.

Two things occurred that caused Sara to gasp and snatch her hand back. The first was that the light was extremely warm, as if she were actually placing her hand next to a roaring fire. The second was that the moment Sara touched the mirror, it started to quiver and shake. For a moment Sara was afraid she had somehow broken it, but instead of it breaking, it started to move. Sara's eyes widened as the mirror started pushing itself inward revealing a hidden room tucked away behind it. Once the doorway was fully opened, Sara debated on whether or not she should go inside. She couldn't see it clearly because it was so dark inside, except for that faint glow. Maybe she should leave and just forget about this room, just go find Kiera and think of something to do until dinner.

And yet…

It can't hurt to take one little peek, can it? Just one quick look and then she can leave. Taking a deep breath, Sara carefully stepped in through the doorway into the secret room. The mirror began closing itself behind her, encasing her in the nearly complete darkness. It turns out the light was indeed coming from a lit fireplace that was built on the other side of the room. Sara just stood there for a moment, trying to take in her surroundings. She stepped closer towards the fire, it's soft light falling upon her face.

"I say, what in the world are you doing here?" demanded a sudden rough, male voice. Sara jumped and gave a yelp, staring widely around her.

"Who's there?" she called.

"That is none of your concern, and how the devil did you find this place?" said the voice.

"I-I don't know," said Sara. "I just found it. Where are you?"

"Merlin's beard child, turn on the lights!"

"How?"

"How? Good God, what are they teaching these children today? Just wave your wand while concentrating on the fire and say Flamada Seldoma."

"Um, okay," said Sara. She reached into the pocket of her robes and pulled out her wand. Staring into the fire, Sara focused on its dancing flames and waved her wand over her head.

"Flamada Seldoma!"

All at once, the fire suddenly ignited ten-fold and lashed out it's heated teeth. Several small balls of flame shot out through different parts of the room. Sara ducked and launched herself to the ground as a few fire balls went over her head. Looking up, Sara saw the each ball was flying over to oil lamps and candles that were scattered about. The ones that raced over her head lit up two torches that stood on each side of the glass door she had come through. Others were zooming over to candelabras on a mantelpiece, torches hanging on the walls, and even a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling. When all the lights have been set, the fireplace died down until it returned to its normal size. Deciding it was safe, Sara slowly got back to her feet and finally took a good look around her.

She was standing in a huge, spacious, and circular room that was filled with shelves stacked to the brink with books. Next to the stone hearth in front of the fireplace were velvet curtains drawn over what must have been a window. The floor was a cherry hardwood, and some ways down from the window was an old, antique looking desk, complete with a couple crimson red armchairs by the fireplace and a couch right underneath the window. Sara stared in wonder at the amazing discovery she had found, and when she looked over to her right, she saw a spiral staircase leading up to a circular landing that held some more book shelves, and it was then that Sara realized she was in another one of Hogwarts' towers.

"Now that I can see you clearly, would you mind telling me who you are?"

Sara turned around to see a large portrait of an old man hanging above the fireplace. He was standing on top of what appeared to be a wooden bridge, holding a leather-bound book in his hands and wearing medieval clothing. He had a tired and worn-looking face that was withered with time, and he was staring at her with a stern and cautious glare.

"I-um, my name is Sara," she said quietly.

"Sara? Well how on earth did you find your way in here?" said the old man.

"I honestly don't know," Sara replied truthfully. "I was just walking down the corridor and I noticed something different about one of the mirrors. When I touched it the mirror opened and that's how I found this room."

"This room is supposed to be enchanted!" said the old man, irritated. "No one except those with a pure heart and mind can enter! Gah, I told Godric to seal it off completely."

"Godric?" gasped Sara. "As in Godric Gryffindor?"

"Of course Godric Gryffindor girl, who else would I mean? This is his own personal private study, and no one can enter it. How could you have possibly found it? No one's been in here for centuries!"

"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to intrude. I'll just go," Sara said, turning to head back out the door.

"Wait! Come here," called the old man. Sara turned back around and walked over towards the fireplace. The old man scrunched his eyes at her as he observed her, rubbing his chin in deep thought.

"Humph, you remind me of him," he mumbled. "Always sticking his nose where it didn't belong, letting his curiosity getting the better of him. Still he was quite an interesting man. He created this study as an escape, especially after his quarrels with Salazar. He was rather fond of this room and everything in it. Unfortunately his visits became fewer and fewer until it stopped altogether. The last time I ever saw Godric, he cast a powerful spell on this tower. No one except one with a worthy heart and soul can enter. One who is unique, who can see things others cannot and is willing to go beyond the imaginable. It has been centuries since that charm was cast, and no one has ever come across this room since. Quiet strange how one as young as yourself found your way here."

"It is very grand," said Sara.

"Grand indeed. I did enjoy the conversations we would share together in here at times. Well, you might as well make yourself comfortable."

"Excuse me?" said Sara.

"Were you not listening?" said the old man. "This room was enchanted for you, it's your private study now. Godric made it all too clear that anything in here is yours, and you are the only person who can enter. You are free to come any time you'd like, just simply touch the mirror. But you cannot tell anyone that it is here, do you understand?"

"Yes sir," said Sara. "Thank you for letting me stay Mr…"

"Archabald Woodwin of Carvahall," he answered, puffing his chest out as he did so.

"It's really nice to meet you Mr. Woodwin," Sara said with a smile. "My name is Sara Kanebridge."

"I'll say this about you child," said Archabald as he scrutinized her. "You are more polite than he ever was. Like I said, everything here if free to you, but you do well to put it back exactly how and where you found it. There are priceless artifacts in here that I will be damned to see damaged by a careless youth."

ooooo00000OOOOO00000ooooo

Sara returned to Gryffindor's secret study quite frequently for the next two days. Mostly she would go in the late afternoon before dinner and would stop by once or twice in the day to say hello to Archabald Woodwin. As it turns out Archabald had never left the study since Gryffindor's passing, feeling it was his secret duty to protect it. Suffering so many years in solitude has no doubt made him slightly edgy, scornful, and gruff, yet Sara could tell he was satisfied to have someone in the tower with him, even if he would spend the entire time staring her down. Even though Sara had every intention of keeping her promise to Archabald, she couldn't bear the thought of doing any kind of damage to anything in the study. While she was in there she found a treasure trove of ancient books and strange trinkets that had thick layers of dust on them. She discovered a golden telescope in the top drawer of the desk and stained old letters addressed to Godric Gryffindor himself. She handled everything quite delicately, which Archabald showed his appreciation for. With all the wonders Sara would find, she would feel a little down every time she had to leave. Sara kept the study her own little secret, and she never told anyone, not even her friends. She didn't want to betray Archabald's trust, or Gryffindor's either for that matter.

Now it was Halloween, and Sara loved being greeted by the smell of baking pumpkins as she entered the Great Hall for breakfast. She greeted Hermione and Neville with a "Happy Halloween," and she even said hello to Harry and Ron. Although she was still a little annoyed with them, she just wanted to put things behind them and be on good terms. So she was glad when they said a pleasant hello to her in return and she took a seat at the table between Harry and Hermione. Hermione still refused to speak a single word to the boys and the tension between the three of them was unsettling.

So Sara was happy by that afternoon, because Professor Flitwick told them they would be making objects fly today. It was something they had all been really looking forward to, and they were anxious to get started. They were all assigned partners and Sara was assigned with Lavender Brown while Hermione had to partner up with Ron. She could plainly see that neither of them were happy about it at all.

"Now don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing," said Professor Flitwick. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important too-never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a Buffalo on his chest."

It was more difficult than it looked. Both of the girls tried, but the most they accomplished was Lavender making the feather they were supposed to be levitating rise a couple inches off the desk for about five or six seconds. No one else seemed to be having much luck either. Hermione and Ron were working at the table next to hers and he seemed to be getting very frustrated.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he yelled, waving his arms around wildly.

""You're saying it wrong!" Hermione snapped at him. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

"You do it then if you're so clever," Ron snarled.

Hermione just gave him a fierce look, then she rolled up her sleeves, flicked her wand and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Sara saw the feather slowly rise up into the air and went way above their heads.

"Oh, well done!" squealed Professor Flitwick in praise. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"

Following Hermione's advice, Sara was finally able to make the feather go a good five feet into the air by the end of class, and both her and Hermione earned ten points to Gryffindor. When they were all dismissed, Sara went over to Hermione's side with a smile on her face.

"Great job Hermione," Sara said as they joined everyone else as they all started walking out into the corridor. "If you hadn't said the right way to say the spell I never would have gotten it right."

Hermione smiled, but before she could say anything, they heard Ron's agitated voice from in front of them

"It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry. "She's a nightmare, honestly."

Oh my God. Hermione's smile instantly vanished. Tears started welling up in her eyes and oozing down her cheeks. Sara's heart shattered at the look on her friend's face and in the next second, she clutched her books closer to her chest and hurried off down the corridor. Sara tried calling after her, but Hermione just kept going.

"I think she heard you," said Harry.

"So?" said Ron. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."

At these words, Sara whipped around and faced the two of them, making them stop dead in her tracks. Anger was bubbling in her stomach as she glared at them, and she immediately regretted any kind gesture she gave them today.

"Ronald Weasley you are the most horrible and rude person I've ever met in my life!" Sara exclaimed loudly, not caring that people were staring. "How could you say that about her when all she was trying to do was help? The both of you keep judging her as a know-it-all when you never even took the time to get to know her! She is a very sweet person and every time she told you off was because she wanted to make sure you two stayed out of trouble. The both of you would have been expelled if it wasn't for her! Yet here you are saying awful things about her just because she could do a spell that you couldn't do. If that's the case, you're no better than Malfoy!"

Sara turned on her heel and stormed off down the corridor, leaving Harry and Ron dumbfounded behind her. The nerve of him! How could he have said all those terrible things? Now Hermione is extremely upset, and Sara quickly ran around the corridor, intending on finding her. The next fifteen minutes was spent with Sara going down corridor after corridor, trying to find her dear friend. She kept going until she to a girl's bathroom at the end of the second floor corridor. As she passed, she heard faint sobbing coming from inside. Sara went through the doorway into the bathroom and saw that it was empty except for one stall, where the door was shut. The crying was coming from inside the stall and Sara's anger faded, replaced with sadness. She slowly walked over to the stall until she was standing right in front of it. Sara raised her hand and knocked softly on the door.

"Hermione?" she called gently. She received a sniffle in response.

"Hermione, please open the door," Sara said in a gentle tone.

"Please just go," Hermione cried.

"I'm not going anywhere Hermione," said Sara. "I'm not leaving you alone."

Hermione just kept crying and Sara sighed, knowing she wasn't going to come out anytime soon. So she dropped her bag next to her and took a seat in front of one of the sinks, making herself comfortable. All through the afternoon, Sara stayed with Hermione in the bathroom, not caring that she was missing all her classes. During that time, Hermione continued crying her eyes out, and it hurt Sara to see her like this. Once in awhile Sara would ask if Hermione was ready to come out, and she would never answer. Even so, Sara stayed where she sat, intending on being here with her friend. She had meant what she said about not leaving Hermione alone. At some point in the day, Parvati Patil came in and asked if Hermione was all right. Sara just shook her head and said she wanted to be left alone. The hours slowly passed, and eventually the sky outside the windows turned black, signaling the arrival of night. After what felt like forever, Hermione's sobs started to soften, and soon they stopped. Sara stood up from the floor and made her way over to the stall.

"Hermione?" said Sara.

"Y-y-you didn't leave?" Hermione asked.

"I told you I wouldn't," Sara replied. "Are you alright?"

"Wh-what's w-wrong with m-me?" Hermione asked through her tears.

"There's nothing wrong with you Hermione," Sara said. "Don't listen to what Ron said."

"B-but I…I just…"

"Hermione," Sara sighed. Ron just can't handle the fact that you are the smartest witch in our year. He had no right to say that to you at all. You are not a nightmare, you are a smart, kind, and fun person to be with he just doesn't know it. You have the magical knowledge and skills of someone twice your age, and you can go so far with that. Nothing and no one should ever pull you down, ever. And you do have friends, Kiera and I will always be here for you, no matter what. You're my best friend."

"R-really?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Really," answered Sara. Hermione was quiet for a moment. Sara heard a light shuffling, then she heard the lock on the door being undone and then it swung open to reveal a red faced and tear-stained Hermione on the other side. There was a moment of silence between them as they stared at each other. Then Hermione threw her arms around Sara and they hugged each other fiercely.

"Thank you Sara," said Hermione. "You're my best friend too."

They held onto each other for a few more minutes and then they separated. Hermione used the back of her hand to rub her eyes while Sara offered her a kind smile.

"How about we head down to the feast?" she suggested. "I think we both could do with some candy apples."

Hermione gave a small smile in return and started to nod, but then her face suddenly fell. She narrowed her eyes and scrunched up her nose, her expression one of disgust.

"Can you smell something?" she asked. Sara took a whiff and nearly gagged as a revolting scent shot up her nostrils. She covered her nose and mouth with her hand, looking around for the source of that terrible stench. At that moment, there was a loud bang from behind them and the girls whipped around. Sara gasped loudly, her heart stopping and the blood draining from her face.

They were staring up into the eyes of a huge, monstrous mountain troll. It stared down at them with its beady little eyes, cocking it's tiny head to one side. It's skin was a sickly grey and very lumpy, like the surface of a boulder. Short, stubby legs were somehow holding up the troll's gigantic body, it's arms dragging behind it, a humongous club clutched in one of it's hands. Sara and Hermione stood staring at it for a grand total of ten seconds before the both of them opened their mouths and screamed shrilly. The troll gave a loud grunt and then started walking towards them, waving it's arms around and smashing the sinks off the walls. The girls moved backwards away from the troll until their backs were pressed up against the wall. Fear grasped Sara in an iron fist and her body felt numb as the troll advanced on them. Just then, they heard the sound of the bathroom door crashing open and a familiar voice shouting.

"Confuse it!"

Sara glanced over to see Harry and Ron standing by the front stalls. Harry quickly bent down to pick up a tap, and the, with one good swing, threw it against the wall. The loud noise caused the troll to stop dead in its tracks, looking around. Once it caught sight of Harry, it changed directions and started going for him instead.

"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron. He picked up a metal pipe and the it at the troll, smacking it against its shoulder with a loud clang. The troll didn't seem fathomed by the pipe, but Ron's yell distracted it enough for Harry to run around it and over to Sara and Hermione.

"Come on, run, run!" he said to them, taking both of their arms and trying to pull them towards the door. Sara, wanting to get away from the troll, moved quiet easily, but Hermione was frozen where she stood, her face filled with absolute horror.

"Hermione come on, we have to move!" Sara said loudly, trying to get her attention. The troll didn't like all the noise that was going on, so it made up its mind and went after Ron, who was trapped and had no way out. Harry went running over to the troll and, rather bravely and foolishly, jumped onto its back, latching his arms around its neck. Also, when Harry jumped, his wand had been in his hand and when he landed on the troll, it had gone straight up its nose. The troll howled in pain and began thrashing around with its club, with Harry hanging on for dear life. Sara knew any moment Harry was going to get smashed with that club, and so, with no clue of what she was going to do, she grabbed her wand and ran towards the troll.

"Sara look out!" Ron yelled. The troll took a good swing in Sara's direction and she had leapt out of the way just in time before falling flat on her back. The troll swung it's club back, about to bring it down exactly where Sara was laying. Sara gave a loud squeal of fright just as Ron pulled out his own wand and gave it a good swish and flick.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted. Before the club could come crashing down on Sara, it flew out of the Troll's hand, rising higher and higher into the air. Then, just like that, it came straight on down and fell onto its owner's head with a sharp crack. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on it's ugly face. They all took a minute to stare at it as Harry climbed off it's back. Sara slowly got to her feet, shaking and her heart pumping.

"Is it-dead?" said Hermione in a soft whisper.

"I don't think so," said Harry. "I think it's just been knocked out."

He bent down beside the troll and pulled his wand out of its nose.

"Ugh-troll boogers."

Sara made a face of disgust as Harry wiped his wand off on the troll's trousers. Before another word could be said, the door to the bathroom once again burst open and Professors McGonagall, Quirrell, and Snape came charging in. In the rush of the moment, Sara didn't realize how much noise they had been making. Quirrell took one look at the troll and gasped, clutching his heart as he sat down on the closest toilet. Professor McGonagall was looking over at Harry and Ron, the outmost fury on her face.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" she seethed at them. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Harry looked down at the floor. Sara's mind was reeling. Harry and Ron had just saved her and Hermione's lives, and they were about to get in serious trouble for it. Despite what she had said to them earlier, she was very grateful and thought they were very brave. They didn't have to come looking for her and Hermione, but they did. She didn't want them to be punished for it…

"Please Professor-they were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!"

Sara turned to see Hermione standing away from the wall, looking at Professor McGonagall. She caught Sara's eye, and that's when she knew Hermione was thinking the same thing that she was.

"And me too," Sara added. "Hermione and I went looking for the troll because we-we thought we could handle it on our own-you know, because we read all about them."

Ron dropped his wand, his mouth opening slightly as he just about gaped at them. Sara felt bad about lying to Professor McGonagall, but she didn't want Harry and Ron to get in trouble.

"Sara's right Professor," said Hermione. "If they hadn't found us we'd be dead right now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish us off when they arrived."

"Well-in that case…" said Professor McGonagall, staring at the four of them. "You foolish girls, how could the two of you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

Sara bit her lip as she and Hermione both hung their heads.

"Miss Granger, Miss Kanebridge, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall, frowning. "I'm very disappointed in the both of you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. The students are finishing the feast in their houses."

"Yes Professor," said Sara softly. Her and Hermione silently left the chamber and out into the corridor, Sara stooping down to grab her bag as they did. Hermione still looked a little shaken from what just happened, and Sara placed a comforting arm around her shoulders as they walked.

"Are you okay?" Sara asked her.

"Yeah," she replied. "Are you?"

"I'm all right," Sara said. The girls didn't speak again as they walked up three floors to head back to the common room. Once they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, they spoke the password and quickly clamored in to find the rest of Gryffindor all lounging around in the armchairs, eating and drinking. Sara's stomach grumbled loudly, since she has not eaten since breakfast, but she didn't go to get food. She stood by the door with Hermione to wait for Harry and Ron. After about fifteen minutes, the portrait hole opened and the boys entered the room. There was an extremely awkward and embarrassing silence that fell between them. No one really knew what to say. Then, without looking at each other, they all said a quick "Thanks," and went to get plates.

And from that moment on, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley became Sara's friends.


	11. Chapter 11 by OpenBookLina

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. OpenBookLina owns chapters 1-11 and Sara, David, Marcus, Kiera, and Izzy. Story originally by OpenBookLina.**

* * *

Chapter 11

The atmosphere around Hogwarts had turned extremely cold as the month of November slowly started to descend upon it. Sara awoke early one morning to frost-covered windows and she had to wipe away the fog to look out across the school grounds, which also had layers of frost on it. It was actually a very lovely sight, and whenever Sara was outside walking to class, she was sure to capture every piece of it on film.

Along with the adoration for the change in scenery, Sara was also quite excited because the Quidditch season was just about to start. This is something she has been waiting for anxiously, and her eagerness only doubled when she found out that Harry was the new Gryffindor Seeker. Despite the Quidditch team captain, Oliver Wood, trying to keep Harry's addition to the team a secret, somehow it had gotten out, and now the whole school new. There were a few protests from the Slytherin team of course, but they went unnoticed. Sara couldn't deny that a small part of her was jealous of Harry being admitted to the team so young. She would kill to have a chance to join the team! But she was also very happy for him too. The moment Sara heard of the news, she engulfed Harry in a tight hug to congratulate him, and after the secret was out, every time they would walk to class, Sara would go on about how brilliant he was going to be and sometimes she would take a trip down to the Quidditch field to watch the team practice, dreaming of the day she would be out there with them.

Ever since the incident with the troll, Sara, Hermione, Ron, and Harry have all become much closer. You never really saw one without the other, and the four of them could be seen walking to class, eating together in the Great Hall, and spending time together in the common room. Harry and Ron really weren't as bad as Sara thought, and realized she greatly enjoyed their company. If someone had told Sara two months ago that she would be best friends with Harry Potter, she would have said they were mad. Yet now she found that he was one of the greatest people she knew. Harry's title in the magical world didn't rub off on him at all. He was kind, brave, and Sara knew that deep down he would find power in himself that he couldn't imagine. Ron was quite a character, with his love for food and Quidditch. He was very funny at times, and even though Sara could tell he feels overshadowed by his siblings, Sara knew that he was unique and his own special person. That and he was the best chess player she had ever seen. She was foolish enough to challenge him one night, and in the end her side of the board was littered with chunks of her pieces. She was happy that they all were getting along, and she was glad she had made even more friends.

Sara woke up the day before the first match of the season in an impossibly good mood. It was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin tomorrow, and she couldn't wait. She hopped out of bed to get a shower. Once she was all clean and dressed, she left the common room and headed down the staircase to the Great Hall. She had overslept a little, and since Hermione wasn't in the dorm, Sara figured she was probably already in the hall with the boys. Just as Sara reached the second floor, she heard a voice call her name.

"Hey Sara!"

Sara turned around to see David and Marcus coming towards her on the staircase, identical smiles on their faces. The young Ravenclaws came to a stop on either side of her, and draped their arms around her shoulders, giving her a tight hug from both ends.

"Hi David," Sara said, smiling. "Hi Marcus."

"May we be your escorts to breakfast?" asked Marcus, holding out his arms. Sara laughed as David did the same thing.

"Why of course you may good sirs," Sara giggled, lacing her arm through each of theirs after readjusting her bag. With their heads held high, the two boys walked Sara down the staircase on their way towards the Great Hall.

"We haven't run into you for a while," said David. "What have you been up to?"

"Any more troll hunting?" Marcus teased, smirking. Sara had told Kiera about what had happened with the troll, so it was no surprise that David and Marcus found out.

"Not for me," said Sara, shaking her head. "Once is enough."

"I bet," Marcus chuckled.

"Are you guys going to the match tomorrow?" Sara asked them.

"Absolutely," they replied in unison, both of them wearing wicked grins.

"We thrive on seeing Slytherin getting rammed into the ground," said David.

"I'm really excited about seeing Harry play," said Sara. "The Slytherin team won't know what hit them."

"I still can't believe he got picked for the house team!" said David. "I would have killed to be added in my first year."

"So would I," said Marcus. "But I've seen him practice a couple times, he's a very good seeker. He might even give you a run for your money mate."

"You made the team David?" asked Sara, grinning. David grinned too, a look of pride crossing his face.

"Yup, we both did. You are walking with the new Ravenclaw Seeker and Chaser."

"That's wonderful guys, congratulations!" Sara said happily.

"Thanks Sara," said Marcus. "So how are your classes going? Kiera told us you are a genius at Charms."

"I'm not all that great," said Sara modestly. "It just comes natural to me, although I wish I could say the same for potions. Snape is absolutely horrid."

"I warned you," David laughed. "Snape has it out for everyone who isn't in Slytherin. One of the many reasons why Marcus and I do our very best to irritate him in every way possible, and we shall never rest until we have driven him to such insanity that he will begin to wash his hair."

"You two are impossible," said Sara as Marcus laughed. "You're just as bad as Fred and George."

"Do not utter such blasphemy!" gasped David in mock horror. "I could only ever dream of being as clever, brilliant, and marvelous as the great Fred and George Weasley. It would be a treat and an honor to be considered an equal on their level, they are the best of the best!"

"Too right you are my friend," agreed Marcus. "They're our role models, no matter how many pranks we pull nothing could ever out beat them."

"If you two admire them so much you should ask them to teach you a few things," Sara giggled, shaking her head. David and Marcus stopped dead on the stairs at her words, looking at each other. In unison, they broke out into identical grins that could match the Weasleys. Sara quickly felt her stomach drop.

"Oh no, I was just kidding!" she said.

"She gets along with the Weasleys pretty well, wouldn't you say Dave?" asked Marcus.

"The twins are wrapped around her finger," answered David, his grin growing wider. "After all this time of observing from the side…"

"David!"

"…and trying to ask them ourselves…" said Marcus.

"Don't even think about it!"

"…we'll just have Sara ask them instead!" finished David. Sara inwardly groaned. It was true, ever since Sara had started hanging out with Ron and Harry, Sara has gotten to know Ron's brothers too. At least the ones who still went to Hogwarts. Fred and George were hilarious, every time Sara was with them, she always found herself doubled over in laughter, and she found their scheming pranks to be nothing less but brilliant. Because of this, the Weasley twins sometimes let Sara in on one of their more bigger plans. She would often add to it, making it more interesting, and offered her help with anything they may need. Hermione disapproved highly of this, but Fred and George were delighted to have seduced such a young person to their trickster ways. She loved the twins to death, and, as much as she'd hate to admit it, David and Marcus were right. Fred and George would probably do anything she asked of them. Merlin, what has she done?

"Sara, can you talk to Fred and George about teaching us some things?" asked David excitedly.

"No," said Sara simply.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaase?" pouted Marcus, sticking out his bottom lip.

"No," said Sara again. "I'm not going to be responsible for creating another pair of Weasleys! And why do you need me to ask? Why can't you just ask them yourself?"

"Fred and George wouldn't take just anyone under their wing," said Marcus. "And like David said, they would do anything for you."

"No," said Sara firmly.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No!"

"Please?"

"David Joseph Prescott, if you ask me one more time I'm going to hex you!" said Sara. Marcus gasped and clutched his chest.

"Oh no, she used the middle name!" he exclaimed.

"You're no fun Sara," said David, also pouting his lip.

"Looks like we are just going to have to prove it to them ourselves mate," said Marcus. Sara just rolled her eyes at the pair and they started walking down the last flight of stairs. When they reached the Great Hall, David and Marcus each lifted Sara off her feet in a bone crushing hug, making her laugh. Setting her back down on the ground, they each gave her a little wave before heading off to the Ravenclaw table. Sara smiled at them and then walked over to her own table, taking a seat between Harry and Hermione, who, of course, had her face buried in a thick volume.

"Sorry I'm late guys," said Sara.

"It's fine Sara," said Hermione, never looking up from her book.

"All you missed was the mail," mumbled Ron through a mouthful of food.

"Did I get anything?" Sara asked as she scraped some eggs onto her plate.

"Yeah," Harry answered, reaching next to him to grab a small package and a letter. Sara thanked him as he handed them over to her and she opened the package first, wondering what her Nana had sent her this time. She opened the box to see a plate of sugar cookies and treacle tart inside. A fond smile spread across her face at the sight of the delicious treats, and she looked over to see Ron staring at the plate longingly. Giggling quietly, Sara offered some of the food to her friends, all of whom accepted gratefully. While they all ate, Sara tore open the letter holding her letter and began to read.

_Dear Sara,_

_How are you doing sweetheart? It was so wonderful to hear from you, I had to reply right away. Receiving your letters brings me great joy, it makes me feel like you never really left. I must say D'Artangan certainly takes great pride in his job, I thought he would topple over delivering your letter to me. The poor thing was exhausted from all the excitement, it took him all day to recuperate._

_Things at the wand shop have been a little slow lately, I'm finding myself with much more time to myself than I normally have. The other day I found myself sitting out back overlooking the vineyard in the afternoon, drinking tea with Mr. Puccelli and reminiscing. You remember Mr. Puccelli don't you? He used to work out in the fields when you were a little girl, and you used to play with his son Lucas, back when your grandfather first bought the vineyard. I remember telling him how difficult it would be to run two such big businesses, but of course, he went out of his way and made it happen. That man certainly was stubborn, but he was determined._

_While Mr. Puccelli and I were talking, my mind traveled back to when you were only three years old. Your grandfather would chase you through the gardens pretending to be a monster, and you would laugh so hard when he caught you and started tickling you. You remind me so much of him Sara, and I know he would be so very proud of you._

_You seem to be doing rather splendidly in your lessons, I'm pleased to hear about the progress you have been making. I was intrigued to hear that Harry Potter was selected as the Gryffindor seeker. He is your age too, am I right? Simply remarkable, tell him I wish him the best of luck in his first Quidditch match. I can't wait until I get to see you on the field as well, I know you will make an excellent player._

_I'm happy to hear that you are having fun with your friends, please give them all my greetings. Please forgive me for ending this letter so early love, I've been feeling a little under the weather lately. I can't wait to hear from you again, I hope you and your friends enjoy the treats I sent you. I love you so much Sara, I'll talk to you soon._

_Love Always,_

_Nana_

Sara smiled and folded up the letter, gently wiping her wet eyes as she placed it back inside of the envelope.

"Your grandmother's cookies are amazing!" said Ron as he reached in for another one.

"Did someone say cookies?"

Sara turned around to see Fred and George standing behind her, both grinning.

"Good morning little firsties," said Fred. "What's this Sara? You are only sharing your cookies with these three?"

"We thought you loved us," said George with a pout.

"Don't worry boys, I made sure to save some especially for you," said Sara.

"See that Ron? We're special," said Fred proudly.

"Thanks Sara, if we had waited I don't think there would be any left due to the fact that Ron's scarfing them down," said George.

"Shut up," said Ron, wiping the crumbs off his face. The twins just smirked before taking their cookies and leaving. Sara laughed at them and then started eating her own breakfast.

"Thanks again for helping me out with that Charms assignment Sara," said Harry. "It really helped."

"You're welcome," said Sara.

"You really shouldn't have done it for him though," Hermione chided. "How will they ever learn to do it on their own?"

"I only did the first paragraph," said Sara, shrugging her shoulders. "Just to get him started. Mute Charms are easy."

"Says you," said Ron, frowning. "You and Hermione did it perfectly, Seamus nearly set my mouth on fire."

Sara choked a little on her pumpkin juice at his words, remembering the incident in yesterday's class. Professor Flitwick had decided to test them all with a new, slightly advanced charm, Silencio. The charm was to silence your opponent, and, of course, Sara had caught onto it right away. She had been paired up with Hermione while Harry was with Neville and Ron was with Seamus. Unfortunately Seamus has a reputation of accidently making things explode on occasions, and somehow he had managed to slightly singe Ron's lips, making him squeal like a girl and hop around the room until Professor Flitwick had calmed him enough to cool off his mouth. Although even better than that was when Crabbe had stuck Malfoy's lips together so he couldn't speak at all. They had been paired up as partners in the class and Crabbe, being the thick headed buffoon that he is, placed a permanent Sticking Charm on Malfoy's mouth. Sara could remember him yelling at Crabbe in a muffled voice, and apparently Flitwick had to send Malfoy up to the hospital wing so his lips could be forcefully removed. Sara, Ron, and Harry were all dying from silent laughter, which Hermione scolded them for while trying extremely hard not to smile. Sara laughed to herself at the memory as she kept on eating, placing Sophia's letter in her bag. Once they were all don breakfast, the four of them left the Great Hall and headed off to their first class.

The morning went by very smoothly, and Sara was especially proud of Neville in Transfiguration, for they had been assigned to turn a small insect into a feather, and Neville had gotten it on his sixth try. Professor McGonagall managed to give him a small smile and good praise while Sara gave a hug to the excited young Gryffindor. Neville said that it was really Sara who made him able to do it, but she knew better. Neville was so very talented and smarter than he knew. He just didn't see it. The rest of the morning flew by, and soon enough it was time for their break. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Sara were all standing outside in the freezing courtyard with their backs pressed against a bright blue fire in a jar that Hermione had conjured up for them. Sara pulled her cloak tighter to her body and kept rubbing her hands together, trying to keep the front of her warm while her back was nice and toasty. While they were standing there, they saw Snape limping across the yard. They all moved closer together to hide the fire. Even though it was an innocent use of magic, Sara was sure Snape would tell them off for it and take points away. But their guilty faces were enough to have Snape walk over towards them. Sara braced herself for the lecture, but it seemed as if Snape didn't come over about the fire.

"What's that you've got there, Potter?" he said directly to Harry.

He was indicating the book Harry was holding at his side, Quidditch Through the Ages. Sara had recommended it for Harry because she knew he was nervous about his upcoming match. He showed the book to Snape, who gave a smirk.

"Library books are not to be taken out of the school," he said. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."

"But sir—"

"Would you like to make it ten points Ms. Kanebridge?" Snape said, narrowing his eyes at her. Sara bit her tongue and said nothing. Snape then took the book away from Harry and started limping back up towards the castle.

"He just made that up," said Harry angrily. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"

"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.

"Same here," Sara said harshly. "Whatever happened he deserved it, that greasy little-"

"Sara!" said Hermione while Ron snickered.

"What?" said Sara innocently. At that moment, the bell sounded off in the clock tower, signaling the end of their break. The four of them gathered all of their bags and headed back inside the castle.

ooooo00000OOOOO00000ooooo

The Gryffindor common room was certainly full of energy that night. Everyone was looking forward to the match tomorrow, and they were all in very high spirits. Fred and George added to the entertainment be shooting off mini fireworks that would whizz around the room, spelling out the words "Go Gryffindor!" in red and gold sparks. Sara was sitting at a table next to the window with Ron, Harry and Hermione, looking on at all the excitement of their fellow housemates. Sara was busy re-adjusting the film in her camera. Testing it to make sure it would work properly for tomorrow. Despite Harrys many protests, Sara decided to bring her camera along to the match to take as many pictures as she could. As she was fiddling with her camera, Hermione was going over Harry and Ron's Charms homework. Just as she was putting her camera back inside her bag, Harry suddenly stood up and said he was going to ask Snape for his Quidditch Through the Ages book back.

"Better you than me," said Ron and Hermione together.

"Harry, I have the same book, why don't you just borrow mine?" asked Sara.

"I don't think he'll keep it if there are other teachers around," said Harry. "I'm not scared of him, and it's a library book, I need to return it."

"All right if you say so," said Sara. "If you don't come back soon we'll send in the Cavalry to find your body."

"Thanks a lot Sara," said Harry, rolling his eyes.

"I'm here for you," Sara giggled, giving him a wink. Harry turned around to leave, and once he was out of the common room, Sara smiled wickedly, then she reached into her bag once again and pulled out a large, shredded up bed sheet that Ron's pet rat Scabbers had ruined, setting it on the table. At first the boys were going to throw it out, but Sara saw a better use for it. After some sewing to patch up the holes and some paint, they had transformed it into a red and gold banner to hold during the Quidditch match tomorrow as a surprise for Harry. All the boys in the first year dormitory and Sara and Hermione had worked together on it, and it turned out better than they had hoped. They painted the words Potter for President on the banner, and below it was a half painted lion.

"Sara, don't open it up here!" said Ron as he looked over his shoulders. "What if Harry comes in and sees it?"

"Relax Ron," said Sara, taking out a small jar of gold paint from her bag as well, along with a small brush. "The staffroom is at least four floors below us, and all that's left is the rest of the lion. Dean! Seamus! Come on, let's finish the banner before Harry gets back!"

"Brilliant!" said Seamus with a grin as he and Dean stood up from the armchairs and walked over to them. "This was a great idea Sara."

"Thanks Seamus."

"I can use a charm that will make the paint change different colors," Hermione suggested.

"That would be great 'Mione!" said Sara. "Harry's going to love it."

She gave the paint and brush to Dean so he could finish painting the lion, and Sara patched up the last few stitches into the golden trim, making sure there were no gaping holes. It didn't take them long at all to finish it, and once they were done, they all held it up to admire their work.

"Excellent!" said Sara excitedly. "This will really boost Harry's spirits tomorrow."

"The paint is not all the way dry yet, we should put it in our dorm so no one will see it," said Hermione as she cleaned up the spots of red paint on the table.

"I'll do it," Sara offered, carefully gathering the material in her hands. "Thank you so much for your help guys!"

She hastily ran up the stairs to the girls dormitories and when she was inside, she laid out the banner on her bed. Then she quickly left the room and headed back to the common room just as Harry was coming back in through the portrait hole.

"Did you get it?" Ron asked him. "What's wrong?"

"Snape didn't tell you off did he?" asked Sara, noticing Harry's worried and disturbed expression as she took her seat. Harry looked around to make sure no one was listening, then he leaned in and spoke to them in a low whisper.

"I went down to the staff room and knocked a few times, but no one answered," said Harry. "I thought Snape might have left the book in there so I started to open the door and I saw Filch tending to Snape's leg. It was all bloody and mangled, like something had attacked him. I heard Snape say to Filch, 'How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?'"

"All three heads?" repeated Sara in a whisper. "He couldn't have been talking about that dog, could he?"

"Had to be," said Ron. "How many three-headed dogs do you think there are in the castle?"

"That's right, and when I tried to leave, Snape saw me and lost it," said Harry. "I ran off and came straight back here. You know what this means? He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him-he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"

"No—he wouldn't," said Hermione in disbelief. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."

"Honestly Hermione, you think all the teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron. "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding? What do you think Sara?"

"I'm not sure," she replied uncertainly. "I don't like the idea of a Hogwarts professor trying to steal something so valuable the school needs a monstrous dog to protect it. But then again, they do have a point Hermione. Why was Snape going to the third floor corridor anyway? And there's something about him that sets me on edge, I don't really trust him."

"But if Dumbledore wants it kept safe-"

"Hermione, Snape doesn't strike me as someone who wouldn't turn on someone like Dumbledore," Harry interjected. "Not if there is something in it for him."

"Well, whatever it is, at least we know it will be extremely difficult to get past that dog," said Sara. "Unless you come across a giant meat bone."

"Or a cat," said Ron.

ooooo00000OOOOO00000ooooo

"Kiera! Kiera, over here!"

Sara spotted a mane of dark brown curls coming towards her through the crowd of excited Gryffindors and she reached out a hand to pull her friend up to the seat next to her.

"Hi Sara!" Kiera said loudly over the cheers. "Hi Hermione!"

"Hi Kiera," said Hermione with a brilliant smile. It was late in the morning and the entire school was at the Quidditch stadium, yelling and shouting for their favorite team, anxiously waiting for the game to begin. Sara and Hermione had invited Kiera to come over and sit with them, which she accepted gratefully. She even bore the Gryffindor colors, wearing a red and gold bandanna in her thick hair. The three girls took their places in the stands, with Sara bouncing on the balls of her feet, her insides bubbling with enthusiasm and unimaginable excitement. This was going to be an excellent match, she just knew it! And her very first one at that! To say Sara was excited would be a complete understatement. Her camera was dangling around her neck underneath her scarf, ready for when she would need it. Ron, Seamus and Dean were standing next to her unfolding the banner.

"It's upside down Seamus, you're holding it wrong!" said Ron.

"Am not!" said Seamus.

"Guys, this is my friend Kiera," Said Sara. "She's in Ravenclaw. Kiera, this is Ron, Dean, Seamus, and Neville."

"Nice to meet you Kiera," said Dean, extending his hand.

"You too Dean," said Kiera, going slightly pink as she shook his hand. Sara saw this and smiled to herself.

"They're coming out!" shouted Hermione, holding her own pair of binoculars up to her eyes and smiling with glee. "The teams are coming out!"

Sara and Kiera immediately stood on their seats to get a better look, Sara's camera already in her hands. The whole stadium was in an uproar of shouts, whistles, and cheers as the Slytherin and Gryffindor Quidditch teams walked out onto the field. The boys held the banner high over their heads so Harry could see it. The teams stopped at the center of the field, where Madame Hooch was waiting for them. With a grin on her face, Sara held the camera up to her face and snapped the first picture just as the players took off into the sky after Madame Hooch blew the whistle.

"Woohoo! Go Harry!" Sara yelled, waving her hand in the air.

"Yeah, go Gryffindor!" yelled Seamus from behind her.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor—what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive too—"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry Professor."

Not too far away from where they were sitting, Lee Jordan, Fred and George's friend, was sitting at the top box, doing the commentary for the game. Sara saw that Professor McGonagall was sitting right next to him glaring, and Sara couldn't help but laugh. This was going to be a fun game, and having Lee do the commentary made it even better. Sara found it difficult to keep up with the players on the field, not knowing who to take a picture of next. She got some good ones of Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell passing the Quaffle back and forth to one another and an excellent one of George sending a Bludger to a Slytherin Chaser. Not even ten minutes into the match, Angelina scored and the Gryffindor cheers rose up high into the air.

"All right Angelina!" Sara shouted, clapping her hands. While everyone cheered, a loud voice suddenly came up from behind them.

"Budge up there, move along."

"Hagrid!" said Sara happily. "What are you doing here?"

"Bin watchin' from me hut," Hagrid said, squeezing up next to Ron and Hermione. "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"

"Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."

"Kept outta trouble though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering at the speck that was Harry. Sara giggled as she watched Harry do a couple loop-the-loops to let off his feelings about Gryffindor scoring. The game was only getting better as the minutes ticked on, with Sara and her friends cheering.

"Slytherin in possession," Lee was saying. "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds towards the-wait a moment-was that the Snitch?"

Kiera snatched up her binoculars at Lee's words and searched frantically for the Snitch. There was a few seconds of nothing, and then both Sara and Hermione gasped when they saw Harry suddenly dive towards the ground, his hand stretched out in front of him. Jumping up and down in her seat, Sara urged him on, screaming words of encouragement. Unfortunately, the Slytherin seeker must have seen it too, because he also dived downwards, and he was starting to gain on Harry. Sara's heart leapt with anticipation and when Harry pushed past the Slytherin seeker she could have sworn she saw a flicker of gold. Come on Harry-

All of a sudden, the Slytherin captain, Marcus Flint, came swooping in out of nowhere and steered right in front of Harry, blocking him. Harry didn't have enough time to stop and so he crashed into Flint head on, his broom spinning off course. A tidal wave of furious yells came from the Gryffindor side of the stadium and Sara was heated.

"You bloody prat!" she screamed. "Filthy cheating scum!"

"Whoa, someone's got a dirty mouth," said Seamus, amused.

"He could have killed Harry!" Sara fumed. "I hope Fred or George knocks him out of the air with a Bludger."

Thanks to Flint, Harry had lost sight of the Snitch, but Gryffindor had received a free shot at the goal posts, earning them another ten points. Despite this, the Gryffindors were still raging.

"Send him off ref!" Dean was yelling, "Red card!"

"What are you talking about Dean?" said Ron.

"Red Card!" said Dean. "In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game."

"But this isn't soccer Dean," Ron reminded him.

"They oughta change the rules," said Hagrid, his eyes narrowed. "Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air."

"It's ridiculous," said Kiera, still following the game through the binoculars. "At least Harry's not hurt."

After Gryffindor has scored, the game resumed and Harry went back to looking across the field for the Snitch.

"So," said Lee. "After that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating-"

"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul-"

"Jordan I'm warning you-"

Sara laughed at Professor McGonagall's murderous glare and Lee's amused grin as he continued on with the commentary. Sara and the others kept on cheering for their team, waving the banner wildly over their heads and calling out the names of all the players. Angelina passed the Quaffle to Katie and Sara watched as she dodged Slytherins left and right, shooting her way to the goal posts. Her heart pumping excitedly, Sara caught a picture of Katie shooting another score for Gryffindor and she yelled along with everyone else, adrenaline running through her. The Gryffindor team was amazing, she hoped she could be good enough to join them one day. After snapping a couple pictures of Oliver Wood, Sara turned her camera towards Harry, wanting to get some good ones of him, maybe even one of him catching the Snitch if she was lucky. However, just as she focused the camera on him, she saw his broom give a sudden violent jerk forward and Harry had to cling on for dear life.

"What in the world…" Sara muttered, lowering the camera from her eyes.

It happened again. The Nimbus gave another lurch forward, as if it were trying to buck Harry off of it. Sara gasped as the broom started making even more violent movements all around the field, and Harry didn't look like he was in control at all.

"Kiera, let me see your binoculars!" said Sara urgently.

"What's wrong Sara?" asked Kiera as she took off her binoculars and handed them over. Sara didn't answer her. Instead, she pressed her eyes up against them and focused in on the Gryffindor Seeker, who was clinging to his broom for dear life.

"Dunno what Harry thinks he's doin'," said Hagrid, who was also looking up at him. "If I didn' know any better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom…but he can't have…"

The Nimbus continued on throwing Harry around and everyone finally seemed to realize what was going on. They were all staring and pointing up at him, and Sara was following his movements. Then, to her absolute horror, Harry's broom gave another lurch forward and sent Harry swinging off, dangling from it by one hand.

"Oh no," said Kiera, her eyes wide. "He's going to fall!"

"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" said Seamus.

"Can't have," said Hagrid. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark Magic-no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."

No kid could have done that. Realization hit Sara like a sharp blow to the face, and she and Hermione stared at each other for a moment, each one thinking the exact same thing. In the next instant, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars while Sara started searching through the crowd, looking for anyone who was concentrating a little too hard on Harry. Hagrid was right, no eleven year old or even possibly a seventeen year old could do that to such a high standard broomstick. Someone in the stands has to be controlling it. But who?

"What are you two doing?" said Ron.

"I knew it!" said Hermione. "Snape-look!"

Sara turned her binoculars towards where Hermione was looking across the field. Snape was staring intently up at Harry, his expression determined and muttering nonstop under his breath, his eyes never blinking. Sara's mouth dropped open in disbelief. Is Snape doing something to the broom? Is he jinxing it? With the way the Nimbus was acting, it had to be the only explanation. She couldn't believe it, what was Snape doing?! He's going to kill Harry!

"Snape is jinxing the broom!" Sara gasped frantically.

"What should we do?" said Ron.

"Leave it to me," Hermione answered. Before Ron or Sara could say another word, Hermione had disappeared from their sight. Sara returned her gaze to Harry, who was still dangling from the broom. Fred and George tried to pull him onto one of theirs, but every time they got near him, the Nimbus would jump even higher, taking Harry even further away from the ground. Seeing that it was way too risky to try to reach him, Fred and George flew downward and began circling underneath him, in case he did fall. Sara was gripping the binoculars so tight her knuckles were starting to go white. She could feel her heart pounding in fear and she kept her eyes glued on Harry.

"Come on Hermione," she heard Ron mutter desperately. Sara found herself thinking the same thing. Please Hermione, whatever you're going to do, do it quick! A couple more agonizing minutes crawled by as Harry continued to be thrown around by his broom, and everyone was waiting with baited breath to see what would happen. Then, just like that, the Nimbus stopped moving around and went completely still. Sara let out the breath she had been holding in as Harry carefully swung his leg over his broom and climbed back on. The crowd cheered and Sara let out a shaky laugh. Thank God he's okay!

"Neville, you can look!" Ron said excitedly. Sara turned to see that Neville had been crying into Hagrid's jacket. She reached out and took his shoulder.

"It's okay Neville, Harry's all right," she assured him. Neville sniffed and nodded, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. When they both looked back up, they saw Harry go into a spectacular dive towards the ground.

"He's seen the Snitch!" her and Kiera shouted together. Harry kept on speeding down and Sara immediately grabbed her camera, waiting for the perfect moment. All of a sudden Harry clamped his hand over his mouth as if he were about to be sick, and then he landed hard on the ground on all fours. Worry overtook Sara as she looked down at him, and then, to her surprise, Harry coughed and something gold fell into his hand. Sara's jaw dropped in amazement-he caught it!

"He did it!" she screamed. "He caught it!"

Despite all the confusion, Gryffindors left and right were cheering loudly, screaming themselves hoarse. Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty! Harry waved the fluttering gold ball high above his head, his expression one of the outmost excitement, and Sara chose that time to take a picture of his first Quidditch victory. Kiera and Sara hugged each other tightly, bouncing up and down. While the rest of the team all dropped down towards the field. Sara and Ron started to disband from the others to meet up with Harry down below. The two of them raced down many flights of steps, passing by the flood of students and teachers, and when they reached the very bottom, they came face to face with Hermione, who was slightly out of breath.

"He did it Hermione!" said Ron. "We won!"

"What did you do about Snape?" asked Sara curiously.

"I sneaked up behind him in the stands and set his robes on fire to distract him," she replied.

"You what?" said Ron, a mix of shock and amusement on his face.

"It broke his eye contact with Harry and gave him enough time to get back on his broom," Hermione explained. "I was afraid I wouldn't get there in time."

"You nearly didn't," said Sara. "We weren't sure how much longer he would've been able to hold on. But you did it Hermione, you saved him. You are truly amazing."

Hermione blushed a little at this and Ron smiled.

"Come on," he said. "Let's go find Harry."

Hermione and Sara both nodded, and then the three of them set off through the crowd to head towards the locker rooms. They didn't have to wait outside for very long, for soon enough Harry came out, along with Fred and George. Without hesitation, Sara threw herself at Harry, smiling.

"Oi! Sara!" Harry said, taken aback as he was nearly tackled to the ground.

"Harry, you were fantastic!" Sara said as she released him. "Even with a psycho broom you were absolutely brilliant."

"What about us?" asked Fred, placing a hand over his heart in mock hurt. "Are you so smitten with Potter that you have completely erased us from your memory? Sara my love, how could you?"

"Oh the pain," moaned George, drawing a hand to his forehead. "It's too much to bare."

Sara smiled at this while Ron and Harry laughed.

"Aww you two know that there is no one who can replace you in my heart," said Sara in an over dramatic voice. "How could anyone take the places of those as noble and valiant as you? The Gryffindor team feels honored to have two such courageous men as their Beaters."

"As they should be," declared Fred, puffing out his chest. "Today was a grand victory against the enemy, and not only because of or dashing talents and rugged good looks, but also because of Harry's big mouth. With these combined skills, there is no other choice but to win!"

"And win we shall!" agreed George, kneeling down and taking Sara's hand in his. "If not for all the riches and glory, than for you fair lady."

Sara's cheeks flushed and she smiled, whereas Ron and Harry were laughing so hard they had to hold each other up for support.

"All right you three," said Hermione. "Come one Sara, we told Hagrid we would stop by after the game. Let's go before these two collapse."

"Okay," said Sara, turning back to the twins. "I shall see you both at the feast kind sirs."

"We look forward to it darling," said George, giving her a wink as he stood to his feet. They both gave very gentlemanly bows before leaving and Hermione shook her head.

"Oh for Merlin's sake," she muttered. "Ron, are you and Harry quite finished?"

Gasping and rubbing the tears from their eyes, both boys nodded and then they all set out across the cold grounds to Hagrid's hut, talking with each other about what had happened at the match. When they reached the hut, Hagrid welcomed them in and made them all a steaming cup of strong tea to take away the chill from their bones. Sara accepted her mug thankfully, her insides warming instantly as she took small sips, settling in her seat. After a few minutes the conversation turned to why Harry's broom was acting so strangely.

"It was Snape," said Ron. "Hermione, Sara and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."

"Rubbish," said Hagrid. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"

For a moment, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Sara all looked at each other, with Sara biting her lip.

"I found out something about him," Harry told him. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

Hermione and Sara jumped a little as the teapot slipped from Hagrid's fingers and fell to the floor. He stared at them all with wide eyes.

"How do you know about Fluffy?' he said.

"Fluffy?" said Sara with furrowed eyebrows. "Its name is Fluffy?"

"Yeah-he's mine-bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year-I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the-"

"Yes?" said Harry and Sara together.

"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret that is."

"But Snape's trying to steal it," Harry argued.

"Rubbish," said Hagrid again, waving it off. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothing' of the sort."

"So then why did he just try to kill Harry?" said Hermione. "I know a jinx when I see one Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"

"She's right," Sara interjected. "Snape never took his eyes off of Harry and the minute Hermione distracted him Harry was able to get back on his broom."

"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all four of yeh-yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel-"

"Aha!" said Harry in triumph. "So there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"

Hagrid looked positively furious with himself. He didn't say another word on the subject and none of the others pressed him for any more answers. They all continued on talking about the match for a little while longer and Sara thought of how she had wished she had gotten a picture of Harry coughing up the Snitch. That would certainly be a funny thing to show his children. While they all drank their tea, Sara decided to pass the time by taking more pictures.

"Oh come on Sara," Ron groaned. "Do you ever put that thing down?"

"Nope," said Sara simply before snapping a picture of her friend's annoyed frown. She took more of Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting at the table, one of Hagrid's dog Fang, and some of Hagrid himself, although he always tried to hide his face. Soon it started getting dark outside and Hagrid ushered them on their way back up to the castle. The four of them huddled together as they made their way across the bridge and over to the entrance hall. Together, they walked up to the common room, all of them relishing from the warmth radiating from the roaring fire. When they entered the portrait hole, some of their fellow Gryffindors came up and congratulated Harry on the outcome of the game, giving him pats on the backs. Moving away from everyone else, Sara and her friends took a seat on the sofa in front of the fireplace, taking some time to relax. However, after a couple minutes Sara suddenly remembered something and she stood up.

"I have to go write my Papa," she told them. "I'll be back down later."

The others nodded and Sara waved goodbye to them before jogging up the spiral staircase to the girl's dormitories. She found it to be empty, so she pulled off her winter cloak, opened her bedside drawer and rummaged around until she found a quill, ink, and spare bit of parchment. Once she had everything she needed, she laid out on her bed and started writing.

_Dear Papa,_

_We won! Gryffindor won the match against Slytherin! It was so amazing Papa, I wish you could have seen it. The entire team was unbelievable, one of the Chasers, Angeline Johnson, scored three times! If I ever join the team I hope I can be as good as her. The game started out great, but then something really odd happened. Harry's broom started acting weird, it tried bucking him off and it almost succeeded. We think the broom might have been jinxed, and we were all scared that he would fall, but after a while the broom stopped shaking and Harry was able to get back on and grab the Snitch. Well, he actually swallowed it, but it still counted as a win. Besides the whole broom incident, it was the best first game ever! I can't wait until the next one, I'm confident we are going to win the Inter House Quidditch Cup this year._

_After the game Harry, Ron, Hermione and I went for a cup of tea at Hagrid's place. Hagrid is the gamekeeper here at Hogwarts, he's half giant and very nice. He has a huge boarhound named Fang who I think is adorable when he's not slobbering all over us. The weather here is getting colder, I have a feeling it will start snowing sooner than we'd expect. David, Marcus, and I are already devising a plan to knock out some Slytherins and bury them in the snow. Hopefully Hermione won't find out or she'll have my head. Things are going well here. Every day I feel like I'm uncovering a new magical secret about Hogwarts, no matter how small. My classes are still going great, and Charms is still my favorite. Hermione and I earned Gryffindor some points by turning a watch into a whistle in Transfiguration. I think Professor McGonagall has a soft spot for Hermione, although she would never admit it._

_All my friends are doing fine, and they all say hello. Fred and George continue to be the lovable pranksters that they are, and David and Marcus continue to follow in their footsteps. Last week they managed to tickle the giant squid so much t inked almost the entire lake. Those two are such prats sometimes, but I love them to death. Kiera managed to brew a healing potion for cuts that is supposed to be second or third year level, but Snape took away points for "showing off." I really hate that man sometimes Papa. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are all well. We've been spending a lot of time together and I always have fun with them. They are really the best friends ever, and I'm going to miss them during the holiday._

_Speaking of which, the holidays are coming up soon! I'm so excited, I can't wait to see you and Nana. Would it be alright if we go shopping in Diagon Ally when I get back? I would like to get Christmas presents for my friends, especially Harry. I have a strong feeling he doesn't usually get presents, so I would really like to get him something. I love you so much Papa, and I can't wait to see you. See you on December 20th!_

_Love Always,_

_Sara_

Sara smiled as she finished her letter, and just as she started folding it, she heard a sharp tapping on her window. She looked up and smiled to see D'Artangan standing on the windowsill, using his beak to tap on the glass panes. In a single movement, Sara rolled off her bed and walked over to the window to let D'Artangan inside.

"Hey there buddy," she said to him as he hopped inside. "How did you know I needed you?"

He clicked his beak and stared up at her, as if to say, that's what I'm here for. Giggling at her small friend, Sara went back to her bed and put her letter to Jon in an envelope. After she had it sealed and addressed, she turned back to D'Artangan.

"Are you up for a trip?" she asked. D'Artangan hooted and flapped his wings, sticking out his leg. Taking that as a yes, Sara tied the letter to his leg, then she watched as D'Artangan spun around to face the open window and then took off into the night, disappearing from her view. Once he was gone, Sara closed the window and then left to go back down to the common room to join the others.


	12. Chapter 12 by KatnissRoseHermione

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. I was on a trip.**

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. OpenBookLina owns chapters 1-11 and Sara, David, Marcus, Kiera, and Izzy. Story originally by OpenBookLina.**

Chapter 12

The next morning, Sara woke up late. Today was a Sunday, and no classes were to be held. Sara didn't have anything in particular planned, so she let herself sleep in. She sat up and grabbed her watch, a muggle creation that was quite useful, of the little table that stood by her bed. She looked at the small thing and worked out what time it was, and discovered that it was already 10:00. That's not too bad, at least it's not noon Sara thought.

Sara put down the watch and looked at the other bed in the dormitory. Hermione, as expected, was not there, and most likely in the library. Hermione told Sara that she was going today to research Nicolas Flamel. Sara looked at the other beds. The only other girl in the room was Lavender Brown, and she was still sleeping. Lavender could sleep all day if she wanted too, and she did that often on weekends. Sara decided she would go down to the library and join Hermione in her search.

Sara got up of her bed and walked to her trunk, which was on the end of the bed, like everyone else's trunk was. She opened it up and looked at her selection of clothes. Since it was getting quite cold out, she took out a purple long sleeve v-neck shirt and blue jeans. Sara slid them on, and grabbed her watch and put it on too. She closed her trunk and headed out the door.

Sara walked into the common room. Parvati Patil sat on one of the chairs reading 'Quidditch Through The Ages'. She looked up at Sara.

"Lavender still sleeping, then?" Parviti asked.

"Yeah. Did you see Hermione come down recently?" Sara asked.

"She came down about an hour ago. Are you going to meet her?" Parvati guessed.

"Yeah, at the library. We're looking for someone called Nicolas Flamel. You wouldn't know anything, would you?"

"No, sounds familiar though. Well, see you," Parvati said and looked back down at her book.

Sara walked away and walked through the portrait hole. She walked down to the library in peace. It wasn't too loud today, perhaps most people were in their dormitories instead of the halls.

When Sara arrived at the library, she saw that there was quite a few people in the there, but not a lot. She spotted Hermione immediately, flipping through pages of a book nearby. Beside her were Harry and Ron, doing the same thing. Sara walked over to them.

"Hi, how are you guys doing so far?" Sara asked and grabbed a random book off the nearby shelf.

"Nothing. There is nothing about Flamel!" Hermione said, frustrated.

"We haven't any idea what he would do to get himself into a book," Harry sighed.

Sara sat down and started to flip through the pages of the book. "Well, we'll find him at some point. He can't be that hard to find, right?"

"There's millions and millions of books in here! We'll never find him!" Hermione exclaimed.

"We'll find him, don't worry," Sara said and put a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"How about we go take a break now? This reading is boring," Ron said.

"That's a good idea. Ron and I are leaving for a break, are you two going to come with?" Harry said and stood up.

"I'll stay here, you guys go ahead," Hermione said and started to flip through her book again.

"I'll stay with you Hermione, I just got here, I might as well stay longer," Sara said.

"Suit yourself," Ron said and stood up and followed Harry out the door and to the Great Hall.

Sara and Hermione spent hours looking through different books, but alas, nothing was found. After an hour Harry and Ron joined them, but to no avail. They were about ready to give up.

"Come on guys! We've spent one day of searching, surely we'll find him on another day!" Sara said reassuringly to them as they walked back up to their common room.

"I am not doing this every day. I say we do it every Sunday, agreed?" Ron suggested.

"That sounds nice. Every Sunday we search together. That'll do good," Hermione said sleepily.

"How early did you wake up, Hermione?" Sara asked, curious about her friend's sleepiness.

"Five a.m., but that's not too early. It's only an hour before I usually wake up," Hermione said with a yawn.

"Five a.m.? Are you kidding me?" Ron said, surprised.

"I had to do it for a better chance with Flamel!" Hermione argued.

"Five a.m. is really early, though. That's four entire hours before I woke up," Harry pointed out.

Ron stopped walking and stood in front of all of them. "The only time I'm doing this is every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. There could be some more occasionally, but that is the minimum. Deal?"

"Deal," Hermione said and walked around Ron. "But I'm doing loads more than that. You three don't have to join me, though."

"Deal," Harry and Sara said unanimously.

Ron turned around and walked normal again and eventually they reached the common room. Hermione went up to her dormitory to have a quick nap, while Sara, Harry, and Ron worked on their potions homework together.

They all wondered if they would ever find Flamel.

ooooo00000OOOOO00000ooooo

Winter had come. In mid-december, Hogwarts had awoke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake was frozen solid, and the entire area was almost completely white. The Weasley twins got into trouble for bewitching some snowballs to follow Professor Quirrell and bounce of the back of his purple turban. D'Artangan managed to battle his way through the snowing sky, but had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid. Sara let D'Artangan stay inside after that.

Sara couldn't stand the wait until she would be going back home. In her Papa's letter, he mentioned that he and Nana had a very special gift to give to Sara on Christmas morning. Sara didn't have the slightest idea what it would be, but didn't think too much about it. Sara was just happy she would be able to see Papa and Nana.

The classrooms got very cold during the winter. The worst of all was the Potions classroom, which being underground made it the coldest of all. The only hope they had of keeping warm was standing next to the hot cauldrons.

Unfortunately, Potions was where the were now. Draco Malfoy was being his usual jerk self.

"I do feel so sorry for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home." Malfoy said, looking straight at Harry as he spoke. Sara rolled her eyes and Crabbe and Goyle chuckled.

Harry ignored them and continued to measure out powdered spine of lion fish. Malfoy has been even more unpleasant than usual ever since the Quidditch match. First, he talked about how 'a wide mouth tree frog' would be taking Harry's place as Seeker. After realizing nobody found that funny, Malfoy went back to taunting Harry about having no proper family.

Harry wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas, that was true. Harry knew he'd have a much better Christmas at Hogwarts then at Privet Drive, and, knowing about the horrible way they treated Harry, Sara agreed with him very much. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were visiting their son Charlie in Romania, so Ron and his brothers were staying at Hogwarts too.

As Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Sara walked out of Potions they all saw a large fir tree. Hearing a loud puffing sound and seeing two large feet beneath it told them that Hagrid was behind it.

"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches.

"Yeah, need some help?" Sara asked and pushed her head through the branches as well.

"Nah, I'm alright, thanks, Ron, Sara."

"Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoy's cold voice from behind them. "Trying to earn some extra money, are you Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose - that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."

Ron, furious, dived at Malfoy. Just then, Snape walked up the stairs.

"WEASLEY!"

Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes.

"He was provoked, Professor Snape. Malfoy was insultin' his family," Hagrid said and stuck his huge hairy face out from behind the tree.

"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree smirking as they scattering needles everywhere.

"I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth. "One of these days, I'll get him."

"I hate them both," said Sara. "Malfoy and Snape. They're both absolute prats."

"I agree. They both care about themselves, and no one else but themselves," said Harry.

"Come on you guys, cheer up. It's nearly Christmas," Hermione said.

"Hermione's right. Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat," Hagrid said.

So the four of them followed Hagrid and his tree to the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were putting up the decorations.

"Ah, Hagrid, the last tree - put it in the far corner, would you?" McGonagall said and Hagrid did as he was told.

The Hall looked amazing. Mistletoe hung all around the walls, and 12 Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.

"How many days do yeh got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked after he got back from putting the tree down.

"Just one," Sara says. "I can't wait to get home to my Papa and Nana."

"That reminds me - Harry, Ron, Sara, we've got half an hour before it's lunch. We should be in the library," Hermione says.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Ron said, looking away from Professor Flitwick, who was using magic to put golden ornaments on the tree.

"Library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the Hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"

"Oh, we're not working," Harry told him. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is."

"Yeh what?" Hagrid said, shocked. "Listen here - I've told yeh - drop it. It's nothin' to yeh what that dog's gaurdin'."

"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," Sara said, partially lying.

"Unless you'd like to save us the trouble..." Harry added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere - just give us a hint - I know I've read his name somewhere."

"I'm sayin' nothin'," said Hagrid flatly.

"We'll just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron. They left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.

Their search had been anything but successful. They eventually decided that they had to search every other day to find him. He wasn't in 'Great Wizards of the 20th Century', or 'Notable Magical Names of Our Time; he was missing, too, from 'Important Modern Magical Discoveries, and 'A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry'. And then there was tens of thousands of books, thousands of shelves, and hundreds of narrow rows.

Hermione took out a list she wrote of what subjects and titles she could search for. Ron started pulling out books at random. Sara looked at the title of each book, and seeing if it was possible for Flamel to be in there. Sara noticed Harry wander off to the Restricted section. What was he doing? You needed a pass to get in there.

As expected, the librarian, Madam Pince, stopped him. "What are you looking for, boy?"

"Nothing," said Harry. Harry walked over to where Sara, Hermione, and Ron were.

"You know you can't go there, Harry," Hermione said, not even looking up from the book she was reading.

"I can't help but feel that he's in there somewhere. We've checked most of the achievement books, but nothing about dark magic and dark wizards," Harry sighed.

"Well, we'll have to keep looking in places other than the restricted section. I doubt that's the only place dark wizards could be found," Sara said. "But it's time for lunch, let's go."

They all walked out of the library.

"Harry, Ron, you will keep looking while we're away, won't you? And if you find something, send us an owl," Hermione said.

"We will. And you ask your parents about Flamel, it will be safe," Ron said.

"Very safe, as they're both dentists," Hermione said.

Sara laughed. "Maybe I can ask my Nana, but I don't know if she'll know anything."

ooo000OOO000ooo

Sara woke up early the next morning. She was finally going home to Papa and Nana again! Sara was overjoyed. She hopped out of bed and walked to her trunk. She got out a long sleeve bright red v-neck and blue jeans. After she finished getting dressed, she went and woke up Hermione.

"Come on! We have to go to the Great Hall for breakfast," Sara said excitedly as she shook her friend.

Hermione sat up sleepily. "What time is it?" she asked groggily.

Sara looked at her watch. "8:13. Get dressed, come on!"

"Calm down Sara," laughed Hermione as she put her legs on the floor and stood up.

Sara went over to her bed and made sure she had everything in her trunk. She had packed it the night before. She grabbed her wand off the table next to her bed and stuffed it in there. She looked around her bed and saw nothing of hers, so she closed her trunk.

Sara turned around and saw Hermione all dressed and ready to go.

"Ready?" Hermione asked.

"Yep," Sara responded.

They both walked downstairs to the Great Hall. Today, since most of the school would be leaving, Dumbledore let everybody sit at any table they liked. After they entered, Kiera waved to them from the Ravenclaw table. David, Marcus, and Izzy sat by her as well. Sara walked over to them and Hermione followed. They sat down across from Keira and Izzy.

"Hey guys!" Keira said. "Are you excited to go home or what?"

"Well, as much as I love home, Hogwarts is very fascinating and I'll miss it a bit," Hermione said.

"True, we'll all miss Hogwarts, but we're gonna see are family and celebrate Christmas!" Kiera exclaimed.

"Yeah. As much as I love Hogwarts, I love home more. Anyways, where's the food?" Sara asked.

"Doesn't come for another fifteen minutes. Oh, here comes mail," Kiera said as a few owls swooped in.

The sky was a little clearer today, so they owls were successful with only a little snow on them. After about five owls came in, there was no more owls. Carrie, a second year Hufflepuff, began to cry. Apparently, her owl had been gone for several days.

Sara ignored the owls and looked at her watch. 8:30. Breakfast would start at 8:45.

"Sara! Sara!" yelled Fred and George. Sara whipped her head around to look at the two boys running towards her.

"What?" Sara asked, slightly annoyed.

"If anyone asks, we're not here, and you have no idea who we are," George said and he and Fred got under the table.

Suddenly, Snape walked in looking furious. He was covered in snow and ice.

"WEASLEY!" he boomed.

Professor McGonagall stood up. "What is the matter, professor?" she asked and began walking to him.

"Those Weasley idiots bewitched my classroom to make it snow and froze the entire room," he huffed.

"How do you know they did it?" McGonagall asked and stood in front of him.

"They were exiting the room when I walked in!" he said. "Where are they?!"

"I haven't the slightest idea," McGonagall said.

Snape sighed. "Well, I'm sure they and the Gryffindors will be delighted to know that that's twenty-five point from Gryffindor," Snape said and walked out of the room.

"Phew," Fred said. "If he'd have found us we'd have our heads ripped off."

"And eaten for his dinner," George added.

Sara laughed. "Come out from under the table you two, McGonagall's not looking."

Fred and George came out from under and slipped into the seats next to Hermione, facing David and Marcus.

"How did you guys do it?" Marcus asked in awe.

"Easy; we used Glacius," George explained.

"But that's a third year spell!" David exclaimed.

"No spell is too advanced for the Weasley twins," Fred smirked.

"I must say, that's the best twenty-five points we've ever lost. Did you see the look on Snape's face after he walked out of the classroom, Fred? Priceless," George laughed.

"What on earth will your mother think of this?" Hermione asked.

"We'll probably get a howler, but those are nothing compared to actually being there with our mum, and honestly a howler is not a big deal," George explained.

Suddenly, breakfast appeared on the table. Sara grabbed a cinnamon roll, some bacon, and some eggs. Fred and George poured syrup in each other's hair. The usual.

"Why would you do that? You're hair will be sticky!" Kiera asked.

"We can get it out with simple magic, don't worry," George smirked and threw a price of bacon at Kiera.

"You know you're not supposed to use magic like that. You can't just use it willy nilly and expect everything to be okay with the professors," Hermione said disapprovingly.

"We know," George began.

"But it's worth it," Fred finished.

The eight of them ate all they could until it reached nine-thirty. Fred and George went up to their dormitories and Sara, Hermione, Kiera, Izzy, David, and Marcus got their trunks and went outside. There stood McGonagall. She put them all in carriages that would lead them back to the train. After everybody boarded the train, they began their way back to King Cross. They sat in the same compartment, which was a slightly tight fit.

"So, how was semester one for all of you?" David asked after they all got comfy in the compartment.

"I absolutely loved it. It's so much more interesting than what they teach at muggle schools," Hermione replied.

"Ugh. I hear that at muggle schools they teach you completely untrue things that you never use on life. And muggles go to it for sixteen years! That's sixteen years of untrue boring things! Talk about torture," Marcus explained.

"Yeah, no wonder muggles tend to be serious and boring business like. And no wonder I hear that some drop out of school early on. I'd die if I had to do that!" Kiera said.

Suddenly, the compartment door slid open. Malfoy.

Sara rolled her eyes. "What do you want?" she asked.

"Nothing. Just looking for a compartment without any filthy mudbloods to sit in," he said and walked away, Crabbe and Goyle walking behind him.

Hermione looked furious. "I hate him," she said quietly.

"He's just a prat, don't even bother acknowledging his existence, Hermione," Sara said reassuringly.

"Malfoy think he's all that just because he's a pureblood. Being a pureblood is nothing! And the Weasleys are purebloods, yet I don't see Malfoy caring in the slightest bit about them! He makes me so mad sometimes!" Kiera huffed.

"Enough about that. How was your first year, you guys?" Izzy asked.

"Pretty good. Hey, you guys wouldn't happen to know anything about Nicolas Flamel, would you?" Sara asked. Hermione gave her a look of 'Why did you do that?'

"Nicolas Flamel? The name sounds familiar, but I don't know anything about him. Why?" Izzy responded.

Before Sara could answer, Hermione spoke up. "We just remember hearing about it in a book and were trying to remember what book it was from."

Kiera, who had been told by Sara about how Hagrid mentioned Nicolas, noticed that Hermione was lying and helped her. "It's been killing us for days, trying to remember. Do you have an idea to where we might find him?"

"No. I'm sure you'll figure it out at some point. Hey David, you got any Zonko products with you?" Marcus replied.

"Nope, used 'em all," David replied.

"Man. I was hoping we could use something on Draco," Marcus sighed.

"I have something," Izzy smiled.

"What?" David and Marcus said at the same time.

Izzy grabbed something out of her pocket. It was a piece of gum, wrapped in silver foil.

"It's something I bought from Fred and George the other day. As soon as it touches water, it explodes and gets every living thing in the same room covered in pink gum. Dunno where they got it, but I know it works," Izzy said.

"But how would you convince him to eat it?" Hermione asked.

"Easy. We ask the candy lady to give it to him and say it's from that Pansy girl," Marcus smirked and high fived David.

"Now all we have to do it wait for the candy lady to come," David smiled.

"But we'll get caught, won't we?" Kiera asked.

"But it's worth it," Sara laughed.

"Make sure you tell them I didn't have anything to do with this," Hermione sighed.

"What time does the lady come?" Kiera asked.

"Around the middle of the ride, I think," Sara said unsurely.

"Yeah. So it'll be awhile. You guys wanna mess around with some spells in the meantime?" Izzy asked.

"Oh, yes. I've been dying to try Glacius, since Fred and George can do it," David said.

"We're not allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts, remember?" Hermione reminded them.

"Oh. Right," Marcus said solemnly.

"That's a stupid rule. What's the point in having magic if you're not allowed to do it until you're an adult?" David said.

"Because idiots are more idiotic when they're younger," Kiera laughed.

ooooo00000OOOOO00000ooooo

With the excitement of returning home, the trip felt like it lasted days for Sara. The old lady that pushed the trolley didn't give the candy to Malfoy, as she expected it would be some prank, and that was a slight disappointment. When it got to be dark outside (which was quite early, since it was winter), Sara got even more excited as she knew that meant she would be home soon. After about an hour or so, they finally heard the voice echo through the train.

"We have arrived at Kings Cross station.. Please take your luggage and exit the train one at a time."

Izzy stood up and grabbed her trunk off the shelf that stood above the seats. She carried it out the door. Everyone else did the same and soon they were all off the train. Sara saw her Papa and ran to hug him.

"Papa!" she said as she hugged him.

"Woah, there, Sara-bee. Don't knock me over," he laughed.

Sara released her father. "Sorry," she laughed. "Where's Nana?"

"Back home. You want to say bye to your friends before we go?" Papa asked.

Sara turned around. Seeing that her friends were nowhere in sight, she turned back to Papa again. "They already left," Sarah answered.

"Alright then. Home we go!" Papa exclaimed and turned to the door. He picked up Sara's trunk and walked to the door, Sara following right behind him.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Hopefully I can have the next chapter up day after tomorrow. I know this one was kind of short, but the next one will be longer. Also, I thought you should know, this story will be split into two parts - Part 1 being years 1-4 and Part 2 being years 5-7. Sara won't find out her true identity until after a while, so I'm going to try to get the first couple books out of the way quickly so I can move on to the more intense things. So Part 1 will be more about just getting it out of the way, and Part 2 will be more the actual story. Please review! It gives me the motivation to write :).**


End file.
